More Than a Myth:  Lightis Fanfic
by artninja97
Summary: What if a portal connected Lightning and Noctis' worlds? Would they work together to get back to their homes, or reject each other's help? Or will they end up being much more then friends? Can they even be together at all? Lightis fanfic.
1. Chapter 1: Myths and Legends

This is an edited and slightly rewritten version of the first chapter. Some mistakes are fixed and a few more lines are thrown in. It's generally the same, but still adjusted a little. I felt my hook was weak and thought I could put in a few more things to make it interesting. So here's the first chapter! Enjoy!

**More Than a Myth – Chapter 1**

**Myths and Legends**

Vanille ran crying across the vast land, screaming Fang's name

"Fang! Fang! Help!"

She reached the Pulse Life Restoration base, her friends concern soon followed. snow, Sazh, Hope, and Serah ran after her as she dashed to Fang's office. They all shouted to her, "What's wrong? And Where's Lightning?"

When Vanille burst in, Fang nearly fell off of the chair she was sitting in since she was so surprised. Vanille ran over and hugged Fang, saying she was sorry.

"Whoa, Vanille! What's Wrong? Why are you crying? Where's Lightning? Wasn't she with you?"

Vanille looked up, sobbing, she said, "I don't know!"

999

Two days earlier

999

Lightning Farron walked through the long corridors of the building that was not too far from New Bodhum. She thought about everything that had happened the past three years. 'So much has happened', she thought. 'Tough to recall every detail. I still can't believe Fang and Vanille are back.'

After Cocoon's fall, all Cocoon citizens had to accept the fact that they had no Fal'Cie to provide for their every whim anymore. PSICOM, with the help of Snow Villiers' group called NORA, was able to start villages where Gran Pulse's new inhabitants learned to fend for themselves. PSICOM and Guardian Corps started fighting monsters instead of L'Cie to protect the people.

Sazh Katzroy, a fellow former L'Cie that traveled with Lightning, continued to raise his son, Dajh, once again. Snow and Serah, Lightning's sister, were married. Hope Estheim wanted to help protect the citizens of the new villages and learned to fight, with Lightning as his trainer.

Fang and Vanille, being trapped in the crystal pillar holding up Cocoon, didn't seem like they would join their new family anytime soon; until a miracle happened.

Somehow, Fang and Vanille awoke from their crystal forms and were released from the pillar. They quickly found their friends, glad they were alive. Not too long after that, Fang helped organize what is now the Pulse Life Restoration, or P.L.R. The P.L.R. was formed to protect citizens from rowdy monsters. Most former PSICOM and Guardian Corps members joined shortly after it was created.

Fang, Snow, Serah, Lightning, Vanille, Sazh, and Hope are now all in charge of P.L.R., protecting the people from monsters and helping establish new places to live.

Another strange thing: The six L'Cie who defeated Orphan found that they could still use some L'Cie powers. They could summon their eidolons and use magic, to their surprise. It was indeed a strange phenomenon, but it did come in handy.

Lightning reached the end of the hallway and walked outside towards New Bodhum. On her way out, she heard a voice call to her, "Hey! Light!"

Lightning knew who it was without even looking due to her accent. She turned to see Fang jogging to her. "You know, you may be off the clock, but that doesn't mean you can totally ditch me now," Fang said with a smirk. Lightning and her friends were the leaders, but Fang was the one who was the head, or at least she had the most control over the P.L.R. Nobody really minded anyway.

"Sorry about that. I was thinking." Lightning was happy that her friend was out of the crystal pillar and didn't dare ask how she got out. She was just glad that she could talk to her again.

"It's all right. Do you mind if we talk? It's a hell of a lot better than ordering people around." With her being in charge, Fang did order others around. Lightning wasn't too convinced that she hated though.

"No, I don't have much to do anyway."

The two women walked along a dirt path that led to New Bodhum, a seaside town that was named after the original on Cocoon.

"Funny how things have worked out, don't you think?" Fang asked.

"I'd say. I didn't think everyone would adjust so quickly." Lightning responded.

"You got that right. But I have been glad to hear some of the old stories from Cocoon. Ya'know, the myths and stuff."

"Really? I found them silly. Aren't there a bunch of stories from Pulse too?'' Lightning questioned.

"Yeah, of course. The most popular is about the Crystal Kingdoms."

"Crystal Kingdoms?" Lightning was baffled at such a name for a legend. It certainly sounded different from the Cocoon legends.

"Yup, the Crystal Kingdoms was a myth about royal kings and queens that could control the power of a crystal that was more powerful than any Fal'Cie. The myth follows the family by the name of Caelum, powerful kings and queens who used the crystal power to destroy their enemies. There's a long series of them. I was told most of them as bedtime stories." Fang explained.

Lightning stopped and stared at Cocoon. Fang looked up with her. Lightning normally didn't care for stories and legends. It's not like they were real or anything. But this one seemed to catch her attention. "Hey Fang, do you think it's real? The Caelum family and their crystal?" Maybe she was interested because she had done the impossible. So an outrageous story like this one didn't sound so impossible either.

Fang was dazed at the thought, but then seemed to understand why she felt that way. "Not exactly. But considering what we've done, I wouldn't be too surprised if it was."

Lightning stared at her former home.' I may sound silly,' the pink haired girl thought, 'but I would actually want to know what these Caelums are like.'

999

Noctis Lucis Caelum stared at the stars from his bedroom balcony. He had a slight headache from listening to all of his duties for the next day. His father had left him in charge of the castle while he went to speak with the king of Tenebrae, the closest kingdom to his.

Noctis was the heir to the throne of the last kingdom that controlled the Crystals. No other kingdom had them, not that they minded. They would much rather use technology than the old, outdated crystal power.

A maid walked in and said, "My lord, there is someone here to see you."

Noctis hated how the maid addressed him. He may be ruler of the crystal kingdom someday, but that didn't make him very special. He was human, just like her.

"Send him in." He didn't even turn around, which was why he was so surprised when he was tackled to the ground.

"Hey Noct!" Yelled Prompto, one of his friends. Prompto loved to annoy Noctis, just like all of his other friends. Ignis and Gladiolus walked in after Noctis had pushed Prompto off. Ignis adjusted his glasses before glaring at Prompto for being so loud. Gladiolus just laughed as he towered over all the other men.

"Geez, thanks for the bigger headache!" said Noctis, chuckling a little at his friend's outburst.

"No problamo, my main man Noct!" Prompto shouted. Prompto was quite the goofball and didn't like to be quiet. He always told jokes and was always friendly.

"Looks like you startled him, Prompt," Stated Ignis. He was rather serious and didn't show much emotion.

"Nah, He's okay! He should be used to it by now anyway!" Laughed Gladiolus, who was tall and also a goofball like Prompto. He wasn't as happy-go-lucky as Prompto, but still not as serious as Ignis.

Noctis stood and smiled at his friends. "Relax, I was just a little lost in thought." The young prince said. He looked back towards the moon, glad that his friends were with him now.

"Reminds me of Cocoon," Said Gladiolus.

"You mean from that myth? Get real!" Prompto retaliated.

Noctis was puzzled, "What myth?"

That's when Ignis joined in. "A legend about a world called Pulse and another floating above it called Cocoon. Fal'Cie controlled these worlds and provide for its people. The myth tells of six L'Cie, or servants of the Fal'Cie, that end the Fal'Cie rule."

"Oh yeah, I remember that one." Noctis commented. 'Ignis was always the know-it-all.' With this thought, Noctis smirked.

"What are you laughing at!" Gladiolus challenged, throwing Noctis into a headlock.

The four men laughed. 'But still,' Noctis wondered, 'what would it be like? To actually meet one of these L'Cie? Maybe they would treat me as a friend and not a prince like Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto'

Little did Lightning and Noctis know that they would soon meet after all. Through torment and tough battles, they would succeed in the most challenging fight of them all; the battle for true love.


	2. Chapter 2: A New World

**Chapter 2 – A New World**

Lightning woke up to the sound of clattering pots and crashing dishes. Annoyed, the young soldier arose from her bed and walked out of her room. Snow and Serah lived with her in her condo but only until they found their own place to stay.

As she walked downstairs, Lightning heard Snow cursing to himself.

Oh boy, Lightning thought, This oughta be good.

Lightning walked into the kitchen to see Snow picking up pieces of glass, most likely from shattered dishes. A few pots were spread across the floor as well. Snow looked up at her and nearly jumped out of his skin.

"oh, h-hey Light! Wh-what ya doin'?" he stammered. He knew he was in for a loud lecture.

Lightning sighed and handed him a broom while she picked up the pots and placed them on the counter. "Start sweeping. It's not gonna clean itself up." Lightning ordered. "We have to get to P.L.R. so Fang can give us a new set of missions."

Snow was too scared to wonder why she hadn't yelled at him. He hoped she was in a good mood.

It was quiet as the two in-laws cleaned the floor. Snow decided to try and start a conversation. He hated when things got too silent after all.

"By the way, Serah went to visit Sazh before she went to P.L.R. She said she and Sazh would go there together."

"Fine." Lightning said plainly. She did wonder what Sazh did with Dajh while he was at work though.

It wasn't too long before Snow and Lightning finished cleaning up. "Hey, we make a pretty good team, eh?" asked Snow. Lightning didn't respond. "Hey, what's wrong? How come you're not talking? I'm sorry about the dishes. I promise I'll get new ones." Snow knew there was still some tension between him and Lightning, but he still was her brother-in-law.

"It's nothing, just thinking." She said. "I'm going to get ready to go. See you there."

"Whatever." Snow responded.

Fang was in charge of P.L.R. and issued orders to all employees. When She, Lightning, Snow, Sazh, Hope, Vanille, and Serah first created P.L.R., they agreed Fang should be the head, since she knew the most about Pulse. The rest would still be leaders, just with not as much authority. Fang was addressed as commander, while the other L'Cie would be called captains.

As Lightning walked into the P.L.R., she headed straight for Fang's office. When she entered, Fang immediately looked at her and smiled. She was sitting at a small desk working on a computer that was from Cocoon. She wore her usual blue outfit with her red spear close by leaning against a wall.

"Heya Light! Morning!" Fang exclaimed. She seemed unusually happy.

"Hey Fang, what are my hunts for today?" Lightning asked. Normally, Fang asked the workers at the P.L.R. to hunt down and kill monsters that were causing trouble for the citizens of nearby villages. Other than that, she ordered her employees to assist other former Cocoon citizens in building homes and enlarging towns. Lightning and her L'Cie friends were no exception. Lightning was OK with this. Taking out monsters seemed normal to her since she used to be a soldier and all.

"Actually, I have a special job for you." Fang said in her in her abnormal accent. "Up towards the Mah'habara Subterra there have been some strange happenings. New monsters popping out, interferences with our technology, even Hope was up there recently and said the place where his brand was started hurting. I don't get it myself. Which is why I was hoping you would check it out."

Lightning was skeptical. This is weird, she thought. Making a brand hurt? Impossible. None of us even have one anymore. Then again… after what we accomplished, I wouldn't think anything is impossible.

"Ok, I'll go take a look. Anything in particular I'm looking for?"

Fang thought for a moment. "No. Just look around and try to see if there's anything strange. I don't mean to dump this on you like I'm you superior. I'm asking you as a trusted friend. I know you can do this without questions. I may sound cheesy, but I trust you, Light."

Lightning was astonished at what Fang said. She was closer to her than she thought. "Thanks Fang. I'll call you on my communicator if I find something."

With that, Lightning left the room and went outside to a Cie'th Waystone. Another thing the P.L.R. did was activate Cie'th stones. They acted as a useful mode of transportation since Pulse was so vast. After touching it, Lightning found herself standing on thick grass. The smell of fresh air and fragrant flowers filled her nose. She didn't go straight to where Fang had told her for a reason: She wanted to see the Archylte Steppe.

Archylte Steppe was a large plain inhabited by multiple types of monsters. She loved to go there because it was so beautiful with its blue sky and puffy white clouds. Despite the monsters, the Steppe was peaceful and calming, making any person want to literally stop and smell the roses.

Lightning looked towards where the Mah'habara was and started jogging. A lot of her missions led her here, so she knew exactly where she was going. Soon she heard a voice with an accent similar to Fang's calling her. "Hey! Light!"

Lightning stopped running to see a young girl with pinkish red hair tied in pigtails. She wore a pink top with a fur skirt, a want hanging from her hip.

"Hey Vanille. Where are you going?" asked Lightning.

The Pulse girl giggled. "Actually, I wanted to know where you were going."

"I was on my way to the Mah'habara for Fang."

Vanille's smile faded. "Oh. Fang has had everyone busy, but she wants me to stay away from all the danger. She doesn't want me to get hurt."

Lightning felt sad for her young friend. She was young, but that didn't make her a bad fighter. Lightning pulled out her communicator and called Fang. After she answered, Lightning asked, "Vanille is getting pretty bored around here. Do you mind if she comes with me to the Mah'habara? After all, we may not fight anything, and I can take care of her."

Fang was reluctant, but agreed to let Vanille go, but not before threatening Lightning to keep her safe.

"OK, you can come with me if you want." Lightning said

Vanille put on a big grin. "YAY! Thank you, Light!"

Vanille began to run ahead. Lightning sighed and followed her.

On their way, The two women saw Hope, Sazh and Serah finishing fighting a cactuar. While passing them, Vanille waved hello and Lightning gave Hope a few pointers on his fighting.

Soon they were at the Mah'habara, a series of large, dark tunnels where a lot of old Pulse machines resided. Lightning and her friends once rode the Fal'Cie, Atomos, across these tunnels while on their journey. Fang said there would be a small opening not too far from the entrance.

"Over here!" Vanille said to Lightning once she found the small tunnel Fang had mentioned. The two walked in. Suddenly, Lightning felt a burning in her chest. Or on. Where her L'Cie brand used to be felt like it was being singed with fire. Vanille seemed to be feeling the same sensation. She was holding her upper thigh, near where her shirt ended.

Lightning didn't want to show her pain in order to keep Vanille calm. But the farther they walked into the cavern, the more it burned.

"Lightning, look over here. I think it's another tunnel."

Lightning walked over to a wall. It seemed weak, almost like a bunch of dirt had fallen over the entrance to another part of the mysterious area. Lightning drew her blade and slashed at it, knocking the dirt to the floor.

Another tunnel wasn't waiting for them. It was a gate. Lightning remembered passing through a green Pulse gate when she left Cocoon for the first time. Only this one wasn't on Cocoon, and it was black.

"Light, I'm scared." Vanille said.

"It's alright. Just let me call Fang and we can get out of here." Lightning began to pull out her communicator when she felt something pull on her arm. Vanille screamed as something started to grab Lightning.

The black gate was creating arms that had grabbed Lightning and began to pull Lightning into the portal. Vanille held Lightning's hand, desperately trying to pull her away.

"Vanille! Run!" Was all Lightning could utter, before the gate pulled her through. The gate vanished, leaving Vanille scared and confused. She felt the wall that took Lightning away from here, yelling Lightning's name. Vanille then backed away and started running. She ran out of the caves and headed for the P.L.R. base, screaming for Fang.

Lightning woke up laying on soil, dazed. She was outside now, not in a cave. It was night, even though there was daylight just a minute ago. Did I dream all of that up? Lightning thought. She stood, looking around. She realized she wasn't in the Archylte Steppe anymore, not even Pulse.

As she looked around, she only saw a forest and a city not too far. Not seeing any other options, Lightning walked toward the city, unaware of what she may encounter. When she finally made it to the city, she saw a crumpled newspaper on the ground. Hoping it would tell her where she was, Lightning read through a small part of it. Her heart skipped a beat when she read one article. Its title read, "King Caelum Returning Shortly"

Caelum? She thought. But that's the name from the myth!

Where am I?

Noctis looked up from his papers when he felt a strange sensation. He walked over to a window and looked down at the city he would soon rule over.

He could sometimes sense when something strange was happening with the powers the crystal his family controlled. And something definitely felt out of place.

What's going on?

Lightning wandered aimlessly through the city. She had no idea where she was, how she got there, and whether Vanille was ok or not. Lightning's thoughts were interrupted by a soldier tapping her shoulder.

She turned to face the man. He wore a black mask that covered his entire face. He had large black boots with black pants and an armored vest. "Excuse me miss, but I must confiscate your weapon." He said, gesturing to her gunblade. "It is a new law."

Lightning glared at him. She was lost, confused, and really not in the mood to play games. "Oh, I don't think so." She responded.

A few more soldiers walked over towards her. "Well miss, then you'll have to come with us for—"

The soldier didn't get to finish his sentence before receiving a punch to the face. Other soldiers came running to the scene. Lightning knew she had to get away. She dashed past a few scared pedestrians, trying to escape the soldiers. Only then did more start to follow her. She drew her blade and began slashing through anyone who tried to stop her advance. However, she was careful not to fatally wound any of them. She didn't want to cause any more trouble than she was already in.

She ran with multiple questions floating into her mind. Who are these guys? Why do they want my weapon? Why was I stupid enough to punch the guy? WHERE THE HELL AM I?

The spot where her brand was began to ache once again. An instant after it started hurting, a black car pulled up in front of her, blocking her path. Four men stepped out, each one puzzled to see a woman causing such a ruckus.

One man with black spikey hair looked at her. He walked a little closer to Lightning and said, "Sorry about this. I am Noctis Lucis Caelum. Would you please come with me?"

Lightning was shocked by his name. Cealum. That name again.

Am I… Is the myth real?

To be continued.


	3. Chapter 3:  Mysterious Meeting

**Chapter 3 – Mysterious Meeting**

"Would you please come with me?" He asked again.

Who is this guy? Lightning thought. He had black hair that was spiked in the back, his eyes a deep blue. He wore all black with short leather boots. His voice was silky and even sexy. He was a few inches taller than her and not very muscular.

"Don't worry," one man with glasses said, "We won't hurt you. We can tell you're not from around here.

This one had brown hair and wore a silk jacket with a white shirt underneath, complimented by his black slacks. His square glasses made him seem sophisticated.

Another one spoke out. "Yeah, we're here to help." He was taller than the rest of them. His hair was slicked back, revealing a pale scar over his left eye. Just like the others, he too wore black.

"We won't bite. We ain't monsters!" Said a blonde one. He, unlike the others, wore a grey jacket over a white shirt accompanied by grey jeans. He carried a brown shotgun, although his finger wasn't on the trigger.

Lightning was no fool. She didn't let her guard down, prepared for a fight.

Noctis had seem some commotion from a window of his castle and decided to stop it himself. He, however, did not expect to see such a pretty woman hurting his soldiers.

Noctis was astonished by this stranger. She wasn't bad looking, but abnormal. She had pink hair that was cut short at one side and long on the other. Her white shirt was littered with belts, making her seem fierce and ready to pounce on any danger. A red cape was hanging from her left shoulder that went down to her ankles. It didn't hang across her back, but it was clipped to one side. Her legs were bare thanks to her petite brown skirt. Her knee high boots completed her odd look. Her attire is actually what made them assume she wasn't from around this region. If she wasn't from around here, then she could just have the rules explained to her and be let go. A pardon from the prince would settle everything down. But now it didn't seem that easy.

She ignored his request to come with him. Noctis knew she was on guard, unsure if it was because she was paranoid, or just scared. It was then he noticed blood trickling down her arm and a slash across the front of her waist.

"Did my men do that to you?" Noctis asked, feeling sorry that she was hurt.

"What's it to you!" The girl yelled. Clearly she wasn't one to fool around.

"Look miss," said Gladiolus, "We don't want to hurt you. Our buddy Noctis here can heal you up and then we can get this whole thing straightened out."

"He is right, " Ignis jumped in, "We can help you a great deal."

Prompto said, "Yeah, and it's not every day we get a girl coming to our place!" Noctis slapped the back of his friend's head, embarrassed that he had uttered such a rude comment.

"Please ignore him." Noctis apologized. She still didn't lower her defenses. This will be a tough one, Noctis thought.

The crystal provided the Caelum family with many powers, such as telekinesis, the ability to summon weapons, teleportation, and magic to cure wounds.

"I can heal you now, then we can explain to you how things work here."

Lightning tensed as the man called Noctis walked closer to her. Heal me? She thought. How? Is this the crystal powers Fang mentioned? Am I in the myth?

His hand began to glow a pure white. But instead of starting to heal her, she writhed in pain. Lightning fell to her knees, clutching her chest. The place where her brand was burned with agony. She yelped in pain as he walked closer.

What is this? Why does it hurt? And why only is it affecting me?

Noctis couldn't believe his eyes. The healing power he displayed was hurting her.

What the hell?

He dismissed the power, but it was too late. The woman passed out from the pain.

"Dude, what was that about? You were trying to heal her, right?" Prompto asked, kneeling down by the girl.

"Yeah, but I don't know what happened." Noctis responded, feeling guilty that he hurt the girl so.

"Doesn't it sound like that myth?" Gladiolus said.

"Now that you mention it, it does." Ignis said.

"Huh? I don't get it." Prompto stated. Although it wasn't very common that Prompto understood something when he first heard it. He was a little slow.

Ignis began to explain. "In the myth, the L'Cie were said to be ordered to destroy civilizations. Or, at least some of the were. But in order to stop them, the crystal caused them pain with their power. If they got too close to it or was in the presence of its power, it would hurt them."

It does explain this, but it's just a myth. Noctis thought it over but quickly abolished the idea. It was ridiculous. It was just a bedtime story. No way was this woman was a L'Cie.

"Well, we can't just leave her here." Gladiolus concluded. "What do we do with her, Noct?"

Gladiolus had a point. So Noctis made his decision. "It was my men who injured her and I who caused her so much pain. We will let her stay at the castle so she can heal."

Noctis began to lift her up so he could put her in the car with them. Ignis took her blade before Prompto jumped into the car. Gladiolus then took the wheel and drove to the castle that they each called their home.

Lightning woke up to a room lit by a single lamp and a comfy bed. Her head ached, as did the place where her brand was. She sat up, wanting to know exactly where she was or how she got there.

A maid entered the room, wearing a blue, knee length, short sleeved dress with a white apron. She had black nylons and brown ankle length boots covering her legs. Her eyes were a dark brown that matched her hair color. She smiled at Lightning.

"Please don't push yourself. I don't want you to get hurt anymore." She said.

"Who are you? And where and I?" Lightning demanded, her voice's volume gradually increasing.

"Don't be upset." The maid responded. "My name is Wen. I am the head maid of this castle. So I direct all the maids work." She explained. "And you are in King Caelum's castle. His son, Prince Noctis, was kind enough to let you stay here."

Lightning remembered now. The man who called himself Noctis hurting her with his power, the pain she felt; It all came rushing back…and that idiot thought he could just take her home with him!

Lightning was infuriated with his arrogance. He had the nerve to hurt her then take her as his prisoner, just because he's a prince! Lightning could feel her blood boiling.

A light knock sounded at the door. The blonde man walked through, shotgun in hand once again. "Heya guys! Noct wanted to know if new girl was a-ok!" He said with a happy tone in his voice. He looked over at Lightning sitting on the bed. "Well the, you look okay to me!"

Lightning gave him a nasty glare. The blonde man's smile faded.

"Ok, I know you hate us and all, but we're here to help. My name is Prompto." He walked over to Lightning's bed and held out his hand for her to shake. She just kept glaring the same glare.

Prompto slowly let his hand fall, feeling defeated. "Well, Noctis wants to see you in the throne room, if you can walk, we-"

"I'm fine!" Lightning snapped.

"Fine then. Let's go." Prompto insisted.

"No!" Lightning defended.

Wen decided to step in. "Miss, think about it. The sooner you see him, the sooner you can find out everything you need to know."

This Wen was clever. She was correct and Lightning knew it. Reluctantly, Lightning got up and walked towards the door. As she passed Prompto, she challenged, "You coming or what, blondie?"

She walked off. Prompto looked over at Wen. "Blondie, huh? I like it!" Wen smiled and followed him out.

The two caught up to Lightning. Prompto lead the two women through the long corridors of the dark castle, and straight to Noctis.

Noctis sat in his throne that was next to his father's. Gladiolus stood next to him and Ignis in front. "You think she's actually going to come?" asked Gladiolus.

"I wouldn't think so. She was in a lot of pain." Responded Ignis.

Noctis stood, annoyed from hearing the conversation. He felt bad for hurting the stranger. His friends weren't helping him forget it by reminding him every few minutes. He was about to tell them to drop the subject when the door creaked open. Prompto stepped through with the maid Wen close behind. What amazed Noctis was the mysterious woman following them.

"Got her, Noct." Said Prompto.

She stopped walking and faced Noctis, looking very annoyed and angry. They stood in silence for a few moments while they stared at each other. Gladiolus decided to break the silence and their gaze by introducing himself.

"This is really awkward. I's Gladiolus, and this is Ignis. You've met Prompto and Noctis." He said. "And your name?"

Lightning looked up at him. "None of your damn business!" she yelled.

Ignis intervened, "You shouldn't show such disrespect in the presence of a royal."

"I don't give a crap! Just why did you bring me here?"

Ignis was about to respond when Noctis signaled for him not to. "I deeply apologize, but it was my men and me who hurt you. Therefore, I must be the one to make sure you are alright. But since I can't use my crystal powers on you, you will have to stay here until you're fully healed." He could see the anger and disbelief slowly building up from her facial expression.

"You mean you're keeping me here! That's not hospitality! That's kidnapping! Sorry, but I don't plan on staying here! If you return my weapon, I'll leave without killing any of you first!" She shouted clearly appalled by Noctis' decision.

"Hold up! We don't mean it like that!" countered Prompto. He shouldn't have spoken. She approached him, getting ready to punch him. Noctis saw this coming. He quickly seized her hand as it swung towards Prompto's face. She seemed surprised that he caught her fist.

"If you will refrain from hurting my friends," explained Noctis, "we can assure you that you will return home as soon as you are healed."

She pulled her fist away and took a few steps backwards. Noctis was attracted to this girl. He didn't even know her name. But she was good looking. Noctis never cared for looks though. He admired how she never treated him with respect. Everyone did because he was a prince, royalty. She didn't care. She treated him like he was human. He hadn't had anyone treat him this was before. Not by anyone other than his close friends.

Noctis smiled, "If you would like, I can show you your room now. It should be a lot more comfortable there."

He could see that she knew she didn't have a choice. "Shall we?" He asked walking to the door of the throne room. The girl looked back at the other three men then followed.

So much is happening because of this girl, thought Noctis. What is it that makes her so strange? It's almost like she's from a different world.

To be continued.


	4. Chapter 4: Can I Trust Youll

**Chapter 4 – Can I Trust You'll be There for Me?**

Fang marched down the hallway as she heard the babbling of her friends. Each of them said something like, "We can't just leave her!" or "We have to find her before she gets hurt!" Hope, Serah, and Vanille were tailing Fang as they tried to convince her to find Lightning.

Annoyed, Fang stopped her advance and turned around to face them. "Look guys, I know I am in charge here and it was my idea to send Lightning out there. I know it's my fault, I know we have to find her, and I most certainly know she could be in danger! If you don't think I want to have every Pulse Life Restoration operative looking for her, you're wrong!"

The three youths looked down in shame. Fang felt bad for yelling at them. After Lightning's disappearance, she felt horrible for sending her out there. She wished she had gone herself. "Ok, I know how you all feel. Especially you Serah. When I lost Vanille, it felt like I lost a part of myself. I know Lightning is family to all of us and we need to find her as soon as possible, but Lightning isn't the only person out there. P.L.R. was made to help all people, not just our friends. I can't drop everything just to find her." She looked over the sad youngsters. "Do you all understand?"

Hope said in a small voice, "I get it. But how will we find her?" He may have been seventeen now, but he was still a kid.

"I have no idea. I have a few units looking for her, but no luck so far."

Serah looked at her with sadness, "Just please promise me you'll find her. I don't know what I'd do without the only family I have left!"

"I know, I know. I promise I'll find her. Now the three of you go find somewhere to relax. You all need it."

Serah and Hope turned and left, but Vanille still stood there, looking at the ground.

"What's up, Vanille?" Fang asked, concerned for the person she grew up with.

Vanille threw herself at Fang and started crying. Fang hugged her while telling her to calm down. "It was all my fault, Fang! She was right there and I couldn't save her!" Vanille sobbed. Fang just hugged her while Vanille cried her eyes out. Once she was finished, Fang spoke.

"It's not all your fault, it was an accident. You didn't do anything to hurt her. I promise I will do anything in my power to find her." She gave Vanille one last hug before sending to Hope and Serah.

"I will be looking for you, Light," Fang mumbled to herself as she began to walk the opposite direction, "and when I do find you…" Fang trailed off before completing her sentence. "…You better be alive."

Lightning glared at Noctis' back as he lead her down a dark hallway. He elegantly decorated castle was a little flashy for Lightning's taste, but she didn't pay much attention to it all. Her eyes sent daggers into the man who took her freedom from her. She hated him.

He stopped walking and opened the door he was closest to. Then he stepped aside so Lightning could walk past him and enter the guest room she would be staying in. There was a twin sized bed with white sheets pushed against the middle of a will to the right. A tall glass door leading to a small balcony was covered by black curtains on the wall opposite to the. A grey grandfather clock with intricate designs was in the far left corner of the room nest to a vanity that was against the wall to the left. One side of the bed was inhabited by a closet while the other contained a nightstand with a blue lamp.

Lightning walked to the middle of the room and looked everything over. Nothing seemed to have any cameras hidden or anything.

"I will ensure that extra clothes are brought to you tomorrow. Right now you should get some sleep." Noctis declared. He stood in the doorway, watching the woman's every move. She was so mysterious to him, he couldn't help but stare.

Lightning noticed his gaze. "Will you stop that!" She yelled. Noctis snapped out of his trance. "Stop what?"

"Staring at me! I'm not THAT strange!"

Noctis could feel his face go red as he realized he had been discovered. "I wasn't" he lied.

Lightning stomped over to him, pushed him out of the doorway and slammed the door in his face. Noctis stood speechless for a minute, digesting what had just happened. He accepted that he was defeated and started towards his room. It had been a long day; All he wanted to do was sleep now.

Lightning paced across the room she had been lent, trying to comprehend all that had happened. She was trapped in a world sounding extremely close to the myth Fang had told her about. This guy, Noctis, was the heir to the crystal kingdom Fang explained as well. She couldn't leave without her weapon and she didn't think she could leave unnoticed anyway.

Giving up on thinking, Lightning sat down on her bed and put her head in her hands. She remembered the look on Vanille's face as she tried to keep her from being pulled into the portal. She was so scared and upset. Hope, Sazh, Snow, Fang, they would all be so sad that she was missing. Hope was just a kid. After losing his mother, Lightning couldn't imagine how he would feel if Lightning never came back. And Serah. Serah would be devastated. Just a week ago, Lightning made plans with Serah to have a sisters' night, just the two of them having fun. Lightning found herself even more upset from the thought of leaving her little sister behind. She couldn't take any more of her thinking. Lightning dragged the sheets over her, wishing that she would wake up from this nightmare in the morning.

The next morning

Noctis walked out of his room to be greeted by Ignis getting ready to knock on his door.

"Morning, Noct. You sleep well?" He asked.

"Sort of." He responded. He couldn't stop thinking about that girl. He didn't even know her name, but he still wanted to know so much more about her. Where was she from? Did she have any friends? Family? What was she doing in his kingdom? How come the crystal's power hurt her instead of help her like it did to everyone else? It just didn't make sense.

Ignis and Noctis met up with Prompto and Gladiolus at the dining room where the four men and Noctis' father would normally eat together. After they had finished their meal, Noctis wondered if his new guest had eaten. He found Wen, his head maid, in the kitchen speaking to the head chef.

"Wen, do you know if our guest has eaten?"

Wen turned to him and smiled. She was a kind person, always grinning and laughing. "I'm not sure. But she isn't as bad as you may think."

Noctis was puzzled. What did she mean? "What are you saying?" he asked.

"Well, she is harsh on the outside, but I had a long talk with her this morning. She really is nice, but strong. She ended up here by mistake and just needs someone to help her find out more about your kingdom."

Noctis understood why she was so angry now. She was so confused that she didn't know what to do! Of course! He thanked Wen and grabbed a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and hash browns along with a glass of water on his way out. He made his way to his guest's room. He knocked on the door, hoping she would answer.

To his delight, she did, but she was not happy to see him. "What do you want?" She demanded. Noctis was determined to find out her name this time. That way he could speak to her properly. Maybe even make friends with her.

"I just thought you might want something to eat. I do want to make sure you're comfortable, you know?" Noctis answered gesturing towards the plate and glass he held. She appeared unconvinced that he was trying to be nice. She moved aside to let him in.

Lightning was famished, but she wasn't too excited to let this stupid prince in.

He handed her the food. She thanked him, making Noctis happy that she had calmed down. From this close up, he saw how her eyes were an intoxicating icy blue. He looked away from her, trying not to stare again.

"You know, I think we got off on the wrong foot." Noctis claimed once Lightning was finished eating. "Why don't we start over?"

His suggestion didn't sound too bad. Lightning knew it would be easier to be allies with Noctis instead of enemies.

He held his hand out to her. "I am Noctis. Call me Noct."

Lightning decided to shake his hand. "Lightning Farron. Call me Light.

Noctis felt victorious to finally learn her name. He was almost positive that it was an alias, but it was close enough. He took the dirty dish from Lighting so he may return it to the kitchen later.

"So," Lightning said, "what's your story?"

Noctis didn't get her question until he realized she meant his past.

"Nothing special. Just a prince to the last crystal kingdom."

Lightning was confused. Fang said there were several crystal kingdoms. "Aren't there more crystal kingdoms?"

Noctis looked at her funny. Did she not know that his kingdom was the last one to bear a crystal? "No. Every kingdom used to have one. But that was centuries ago. My father, the king, is the only one who still uses the crystal's power. Every other kingdom's was destroyed. I'm also the only one left who can wield the crystal's power."

Everyone knew this stuff. How come she didn't? Just how far did she come from anyway?

"So…do you know what a L'Cie is?" Lightning asked. What kind of a question is that? Noctis was getting more confused.

"Aren't they servants of a Fal'Cie or something?" He guessed.

"Yeah. Seen any of them before?"

Noctis' brow furrowed. "What are you talking about? Those are just a myth. There are no Fal'Cie or L'Cie."

Lightning couldn't believe her ears. No Fal'Cie? A myth? Not only was the myth Fang told her true, her world was a myth here. It started to make a little bit more sense. Maybe she was in an alternate dimension or something. Maybe if she found the gate she could get back home. Maybe she was going insane.

Noctis saw her puzzlement and told her more. "The myth says the two worlds, Pulse and Cocoon, were provided for by Fal'Cie. In turn, they made some humans L'Cie, their servants. But six L'Cie were given a focus, which is the task the Fal'Cie gave the L'Cie, that they would destroy the world. They revolted and defeated the Fal'Cie that controlled all the others and gave the human race their lives back."

"Yeah I know that." Lightning said.

"Then why are you so confused?"

Lightning couldn't tell Noctis off her true origin. He wouldn't believe her.

"I might believe you if you say you're one though." Noctis said to Lightning's surprise. "After all, when I used my power on you, it hurt you. And the crystal's power is supposed to ward off L'Cie."

Lightning stared at him in disbelief. It started to make some sense.

Noctis felt her staring at him. "Hey, you can't stare at me if I can't stare at you. That's unfair!" He playfully chuckled.

Lightning smirked. Noctis saw that the door was still open when a maid left her cart in the hallway while cleaning another room. He made a "smooth move" when he decided to throw the plate to the cart like a Frisbee so he wouldn't have to take it back to the kitchen himself. The plate hit the maid's cart and knocked off several towels, dishes, and glasses. Noctis realized it was a foolish idea and quickly shut the door before anyone could see that he did that.

Noctis cursed himself for being such a dumbass in front of Lightning…until he heard her laughing. Noctis turned and smiled at her, happy that she was starting to relax.

Lightning was beginning to see that Noctis wasn't so uptight too. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all. "Looks like that incident is our secret, right?" Lightning joked.

The two laughed. Noctis was enjoying Lightning's company, possibly more than he liked his friends'. Lightning realized she was getting too cozy around him. She stopped laughing and looked away, then walked towards the glass door.

Noctis, feeling disappointed that their moment was so short, walked closer to try and get her talking again. "Well, you must get lonely in here by yourself. You can join my friends and I. We aren't that bad, ya'know." He suggested.

Lightning thought about it. It could give her a chance to find her way around this godforsaken castle. She agreed, leaving the room before he did. Noctis followed. She was waiting outside in the hallway. She, of course, didn't know where to go and had to have Noctis lead the way. Noctis was sure she would have just kept walking if she knew where she was headed.

Noctis didn't get it. He felt so attracted to this one girl. But why? He barely knew her. She wasn't very ladylike. She was very different. But maybe that was why he liked her. She wasn't like everyone else; one of a kind. She treated him like everyone else, wasn't influenced by other's opinions, and, obviously, was not from his world. Or, at least that was Noctis' theory. She did seem other worldly. No one but her had asked him about L'Cie either. She seemed to believe in their existence as well.

Noctis lead Lightning to a sitting room that was made exclusively for Noctis and his friends. Ignis was sitting cross-legged on an armchair while Gladiolus sat on a couch with his feet on the table in from of him. Prompto leaned against an empty chair to the right of the couch Gladiolus was seated on.

The three men were shocked to see the new comer out of her room. She hadn't left at all since she arrived. Gladiolus smiled, "Well, well! Look who decided to come out!"

Noctis glared at Gladiolus. Noctis knew if he showed them that he felt attracted to Lightning he would suffer teasing for years. But he couldn't let her be treated in a disrespectful manner. "Okay guys, this is Lightning and she will be our guest for a while." Noctis explained.

Prompto straightened and gestured for Lightning to take a seat on the chair he was just leaning against. Lightning didn't want to let her guard down and stayed where she was. "Oh, come on, Light." Prompto said, "We're all trying to make friends with you. You don't have to be so bashful." Prompto smiled and approached her. He seized her arm and literally dragged her to the chair and had her take a seat. Noctis felt embarrassed yet again.

Lightning wasn't too involved in the conversations they were having. She mostly watched as they talked. Lightning noticed that Noctis was more relaxed with his friends. He most likely has to maintain the perfect prince image for his subjects.

Noctis felt like Lightning was getting bored. "So Light," he said. "I'm sure you've heard enough of our rambling. Tell us about you now." Lightning thought he sounded a trifle demanding when he asked her to speak. She didn't want the guys to stare at her waiting for an answer and resulted to respond, "Depends. What do you want to know?"

Noctis paused. He didn't want to ask anything to personal, nothing that could make her hate him again. Ignis then questioned, "How about, what do you do for a living?"

Lightning looked at him. She wasn't sure if he would believe her reply. "Well, I'm a soldier. I protect people from monster attacks." Ignis actually was expecting an answer like that. She did strike down quite a few soldiers before Noctis and his gang stopped her.

"Really?" Prompto smiled like a child that had just received candy. "That's awesome! So, you are like a hero to average people?" Lightning guessed he meant those who can't fight when he said 'average people.' "I don't know. I never really thought of it like that."

Lightning used this interview to her advantage. "This is the last kingdom with a crystal, right?" She asked. "Is it here?"

Ignis became stern. "Sorry, but we can't speak of the crystal. It's top secret."

"So it is here?"

"I didn't say that."

Lightning wasn't happy about this guy being smart. She would have to try a few tricks. "Is there any way someone other than royalty can use the crystal's power."

"The crystal's power can't be passed, only inherited."

"Is there any time when the user of the crystal's power is at their strongest"

"Yes. Normally when they are closest to the crystal."

"So if Noctis was far away from here, his crystal power would be weakened?" Lightning hoped he would fall for her trap.

"Yes. The closer he is to the castle, the stronger his power is." Lightning smirked with victory.

Gladiolus stared at Ignis with disbelief. "Dude!" he bellowed.

Ignis seemed puzzled. Prompto enlightened him, "You wouldn't tell her where the crystal was before, but she got you to reveal its location now!" Ignis blushed. Even Prompto picked up on her charade before he did.

Noctis was impressed. She was clever enough to outsmart Ignis, who was the smartest man he knew. Her intelligence only added to Noctis' list of things he liked about Lightning. He felt even more attracted to her now.

Lightning was glad to learn of the crystal's position. If she could find it without its [ower hurting her, maybe she could use it to get back home.

"Ok, ok." Prompto said. "Enough crystal talk. This was supposed to be about Light."

Noctis agreed, "So let's get back to that then." He looked back to Lightning. "Do you have any friends? Or family?" Noctis saw Lightning's facial expression change. She seemed calmed before, now she was sad. It appeared that he hit her where it hurt.

Lightning looked down, "I..I have a little sister. She's the only family I have left."

Noctis understood her emotions now. He didn't have much family left either. Only his father.

Prompto then only made her angrier, "Well, you can have us! We could be like family!" Noctis knew he was only trying to comfort her, but didn't do so well. Lightning stood and faced him. "How the hell is that supposed to be a good idea?"

Prompto backed away. Gladiolus swiftly came to his friend's defense. "Hey, he was just trying to help, calm down."

"Why don't you mind your own business?"

Noctis and Ignis tried to break up the two hotheads. Gladiolus started to yell, "Why are you so paranoid? It's not that bad to trust people!"

That struck a nerve. Lightning turned around, not wanting to talk anymore. Noctis wanted to help her. He took her shoulder and tried to face her. Too bad she slapped him as soon as he touched her. Noctis fell to the ground as Lightning walked out of the room, sick of being around her kidnappers. She marched down the hallway, fuming.

Noctis didn't understand why she was so upset by what Gladiolus said. Ignis helped Noctis up. "We should probably avoid questioning her from now on." Noctis agreed with him. Noctis told them he would go see if she was all right.

After Noctis left, Prompto looked over to Gladiolus and said, "Does everyone here think Noctis has a crush on this chick?"

Ignis and Gladiolus nodded before laughing, thinking of every way they could hold that ever Noctis.

Lightning didn't know where she was going. She didn't care.

She trusted people. She had others to depend on…Or did she?

Lightning had never felt so alone after he said that. The sentence played over and over in her mind. Did she trust others? Was there someone for her to lean on? She was always paranoid, and she knew that. But will the few people she trusted leave her? Serah will live with Snow soon, making Lightning's condo seem awfully empty. Fang and Vanille were always together. Sazh had Dajh with him. Hope had his father. Who would Lightning have without these guys?

No one.

Lightning forced her thoughts away and found herself in a small garden. She walked along a wall that created one side of the garden's perimeter. Flower beds containing roses, daffodils, and other shrubbery littered the garden. Even with such colorful plants surrounding her, she couldn't drive her thoughts away.

One day, she could be alone. All her friends would leave her behind, they all had somebody after all. Lightning was frustrated with herself and forcefully punched the wall she walked along. She turned and sat down, her back resting against the cold stone.

She looked at the sky, wishing one of her friends were here to snap her out of her rut.

Lightning looked back down, "I'll, be… all alone… They'll all… leave me…" She rested her head on her knees. "Can I really… trust them?...Will I be…All alone someday?..."

To be continued.


	5. Chapter 5:  Going too Soft

**Chapter 5 – **

Noctis heard everything Lightning muttered to herself from the entrance of the garden. She feels alone? He thought. So she wasn't angry as Gladiolus' comment, just… sad. He couldn't bear to see Lightning so upset. He got an idea.

He approached Lightning. "Hey…" He shyly said. She looked over at him with an emotionless expression. Noctis wasn't sure how to ask her. He tried to act cool.

"That slap hurt, you know." He teased. Lightning's wasn't fazed. Well then, Let's try plan B. He walked over to her and took a seat on the ground next to her.

"I can see why you're so confused about everything. It was foolish of me to throw you into all of this so quickly." He told her sympathetically.

"Why do you give a damn?" She responded, her voice cold and harsh. Truly, Noctis didn't know why yet. He was so concerned for her happiness. But why? He barely knew her. She just reminded him of something, someone… But who?

He pushed the thought aside and answered, "What Gladiolus said was uncalled for. I wouldn't take what he said so lightly either." Lightning was puzzled. Why was he being so nice! Wow, Lightning thought to herself. I really am too paranoid. Gladiolus was dead on. Lightning mentally slapped herself for thinking that way. She was a soldier. Never could she become so soft.

Noctis finally got the courage to ask her, "When I'm in a rut, there's a place I like to go to clear my mind. Would you like to go?"

Lightning was stunned. No one here showed her such kindness towards her. Why him? Why now? She thought it over. This could be an opportunity to pry some information about this world out of him. "Fine. Anything to get away from here."

Noctis didn't expect her to actually accept his offer. But he was glad to get some time to know her.

"Follow me."

Noctis lead Lightning through the castle and out a back door that went to a huge backyard full of trees, flowerbeds, and small ponds. A red wooden building similar to a barn was nearby. The red facility was where all chocobos were held. He started walking over to it when Lightning asked, "Just where are we going now?"

He looked back at her before responding, "A plain that is not too far from here. It's easiest to go there by riding a chocobo. You have ridden before, right?"

Lightning shot him a glare. "Of course I have," She snapped.

Noctis smirked. He believed it was funny when she got mad over silly things like that. He loved to tease her, too. "So I shouldn't expect you to fall, or are you just trying to sound tough?" Lightning punched his arm as he laughed.

He signaled for Lightning for Lightning to wait outside the corral while he got two chocobos. Lightning didn't expect seeing Noctis come back with one white and one black chocobo!

"Aren't all chocobos yellow?" She wondered out loud. Noctis thought that was a yet another strange question. She seemed to ask a lot of those. "Actually, they come in many assorted colors. Didn't you know?"

Lightning felt sheepish for voicing her inner thoughts. All the chocobos on Pulse and Cocoon were yellow and yellow only.

Noctis decided to let the odd question slide and handed her the reins to the white chocobo. It wasn't quite as large as the chocobos from Pulse, but the bird still stood at a good seven feet. Noctis climbed onto his black chocobo.

Lightning hopped onto hers while Noctis said, "This is Cinis. He's been with me since I was a little kid."

"So… Why are you telling me this?"

Noctis felt a little stupid for introducing his chocobo as if it was a human being. "Well… He's just been my chocobo for so long. I guess he's special to me, that's all.

She understood what he meant. "What's this one's name then?" Lightning asked.

"She's Snow."

Lightning frowned. Damn coincidence has to remind me that I don't even have my idiot brother-in-law to annoy me anymore.

Noctis noticed her discontentment. "Something wrong?"

Lightning came out of her thoughts, "I'm fine, I was just thinking."

Noctis whipped Cinis' reins and made him start running after he kweed. Lightning did the same and followed.

Lightning never knew there was such a long field so close to the castle. She thought there would be a fence or something behind it. The field had few trees apart from a forest to the far east. Dandelions and other weeds littered the rolling hills just as lush green grass did. It was spring, so many bees, dragonflies, butterflies, and other bugs fluttered about. It was a couple of hours away from noon, making the field seem to glow in the morning sunlight. No clouds covered the sky, allowing the beautiful blue to engulf everything below it. A warm breeze flowed through the air.

Noctis said the place he talked about wasn't too far, but they had ridden for some time. A tall hill soon approached them. Noctis slowed down and stopped Cinis at the hill's base. He jumped off Cinis and tied his reins to a tree close by. Once Lightning was, he did the same with Snow. Lightning's waist and shoulder burned from the bumpy ride. She didn't want to show her pain in front of Noctis, so she ignored the pain.

"Now what? What is it you want to show me?" Lightning impatiently asked. The ride had gotten Lightning to let her mind wander away from the event with Gladiolus. However, she still wasn't in a very good mood.

"It's just over this hill. I stopped here so we could take in the view." It was already a beautiful day. Just how amazing could this sight be?

Noctis and Lightning strolled up the hill. It wasn't to terribly big, although the trip was still slightly tiresome and annoying. Lightning didn't mind though. She had been through tougher training than a walk up a hill. Neither of them spoke on the way up. Noctis, however, was excited to see Lightning's reaction once they reached the hill's peak.

Just before they made it to the summit, Noctis halted, and turned to Lightning. "Okay," He said with a hint of joy in his tone, "Close your eyes."

"No way. That's ridiculous." Lightning grumpily implied.

"Please?"

Begging? She asked herself. I can have a little fun with this. In a sly voice, she said, '' I don't know."

Noctis knew she was toying with him. He started to think this was a bad idea. He still wanted her to come with him. He decided to play her little game.

"If you close your eyes and come, I'll answer every question you have." Noctis complied.

Just what Lightning wanted. "Fine," She concluded. She closed her eyes. Noctis took her hand and began walking her to the top. Lightning thought it was weird: His hand felt warm to her, even though he was wearing gloves. Not only that, but she liked feeling his hand intertwined with hers. She shoved the thought away, thinking she must not have gotten enough sleep and was hallucinating.

Noctis ushered her slowly, savoring the time he had to hold Lightning's hand. Her fingers felt soft, gentle. Not what he expected from the hands of a highly skilled fighter.

Lightning felt him stop. Noctis released her hand before telling her, "Okay, you can open your eyes." She gradually obeyed.

Lightning was shocked by what she saw. The breath taking scenery of endless hills filled her view. The green foliage met the blue sky at the horizon with an accompaniment of flowers of every color. The wind created a symphony of rustling leaves. The sunlight enlightened every hue of the vast plain. "Wow," was all Lightning could utter. Noctis was glad. And, hopefully, things would get better.

"Told you it was cool." Noctis gloated. Lightning answered with a glare.

Noctis thought he should play with her just as she did earlier. "Well,

He said, "This isn't the place I told you about, just a stop on the way. We better get going."

Lightning would rather stay closer to the castle just in case this creep would try anything mischievous. "Hold on a minute!" She shouted. "Why should I keep following you? How come we can't stay here?"

Noctis grinned, "This wasn't the place I told you I liked to go to. You agreed to come with me…" He paused. "You are free to go back; it's not that hard to find the way. But…" He fished something out of the pouch strapped around his waist. "…You'll have to leave this behind."

Lightning's eyes automatically grew wide with anger as she saw him pull out a folded up knife. HER knife! The same one Serah gave her for her twenty first birthday: The same day she announced that she was a L'Cie and engaged to Snow.

"How the hell did you get that?" Lightning barked.

"You dropped it in the garden we were at before we left. I meant to return it to you, but it must have slipped my mind." Noctis gave her a coy smile.

Lightning didn't think Noctis was so tricky. "Give it back!" She demanded.

"You'll have to come with me then." He replied with an evil snicker. He advanced down the hill with Lightning at his heels. She attempted to wrestle the knife from him several times before he started running from her. She chased him down, trying to regain her knife. It was the only thing she had left from home.

Noctis laughed at his game. His playful teasing humored him. Not because he was a bully, but he liked to have some fun with her. She, on the other hand, was probably ready to wring his neck.

After a few minutes of Lightning pursuing him, he slowed down and prepared to give her knife back. Instead of just retrieving the knife like a civilized person, she kicked his feet from under him then picked it up from the ground after he let go of it.

"Ow! No need to be so rough!" Noctis complained. Lightning paid no attention to him and looked around. Now she had no choice but to go with him; She wasn't sure where they were any more, let alone how to get back.

Noctis stood and dusted himself off. "The place is just over there." He turned his head to the right. He began walking towards a gazebo like structure. Reluctantly, Lightning followed.

The gazebo standing at approximately fifteen feet tall was made completely of stone. A pointed roof was supported by rectangular pillars. A short stone barrier covered about four feet of the ten foot arcs created by the pillars. Once inside, Lightning could see that there was plenty of room, enough to fit ten people inside without being cramped. She could tell the gazebo was old, due to the decaying stone and plants growing in every crack. The floor was covered with dirt and small pebbles. Lightning felt nervous to be inside the secluded building alone with Noctis. "What is this place?" She questioned.

Noctis explained, "A long time ago, I don't recall when, this country was at war with another to the North called Niflheim. These fields were an easy route to the palace; therefore, soldiers from the opposing side would try to sneak into the city unnoticed. In order to protect the citizens, the war leaders assigned military officers to be stationed here to keep watch and warn the king if anyone was spotted. There are more posts around the area; this one is just the closest.

"This war ended many years ago, so no one comes here anymore," Noctis continued. "We've had recent problems concerning the crystal with Niflheim, but a peace treaty was made in order to settle our disputes. Although, things are still a little shaky. Anyway, there isn't anyone around for miles. It's so quiet and peaceful here, also a good place to clear your mind."

Noctis was correct: The scenery made Lightning feel relaxed, even though Gladiolus' comment was still in her thoughts. Noctis leaned against one of the pillars as he examined Lightning closely. She looked out to the horizon, unaware of his watchful eye. The sunlight hit her in a way that emphasized her beauty. Her icy blue eyes sparkled while her pink hair glistened, reflecting the sun's rays. She was already good looking without nature making her features even more intoxicating. He wanted her to talk to him. He craved to know everything about her. All he had to do was get her to speak.

Noctis hesitated, then managed to state, "Gladiolus can be temperamental when it comes to our group. He's always the one defending us or getting worked up first."

Lightning didn't answer.

He tried again, "He didn't mean what he said. We were all under a little pressure. A bit uneasy."

Lightning finally averted gaze over to him, "Really? How so?"

"Umm…" He began, "There's still some tension between all of us. We just want to make friends and put everything that's happened aside. None of us were really positive about how to do it, though." Lightning thought for a moment. Maybe she had gotten carried away earlier.

"I guess I can let it go." Lightning sighed.

"Why did that get you so upset anyway?" Noctis wondered aloud. Bad idea. He pretty much opened up closed wounds. Lightning looked down at the red pouch tied to her left leg. She pulled out the knife Noctis taunted her with and flipped out the blade. "It made me think of how little I have."

Noctis was bemused. He furrowed his brow to signal for her enlighten him.

"I mentioned I had a sister, right? She waited for Noctis to nod so she was sure he followed. "She's married. I don't have any parents. Everyone I care for has somebody to be with them. Like family or childhood friends. That is, everyone but me. They all have someone to spend their days with…" She lowered her head. "This knife will be all that I'll have left of anyone that meant anything to me. They'll all leave me behind someday, especially if I can't get back home."

Noctis felt her pain. Getting attached to someone could be joyous for a time, but in the end, it might result in a damaged heart. He had suffered that feeling when…

His thoughts were interrupted by Lightning's sudden anger. "Dammit!" She cursed.

"What?"

Realizing what she did, Lightning sat down on the chilly floor. "Me." She plainly said.

"I don't understand." Noctis sat next to her on her right side.

"I'm going too soft. Way too soft. Getting so sentimental, letting out my emotions; I'm becoming weak."

"Don't say that!" Noctis exclaimed without thinking. Startled, Lightning gawked at Noctis. He could feel his face flushing and looked away.

"Why shouldn't I?" Lightning asked, wanting an explanation for his for his outburst.

In a small voice, he said, "You're the strongest person I've ever met. And having emotions doesn't make you weak, it…" He trailed off.

"What?" Lightning insisted.

Noctis slowly turned his head back to her, "…It doesn't make you weak. It makes you human."

Lightning was stunned to hear what he said. Their faces were only inches apart. Lightning could feel his breath on her face. She wanted to move closer, to get a better look at his deep, dark blue eyes.

Noctis abruptly broke their gaze before hastily standing up. He appeared sadder now. "Of course, I wouldn't know anything about being human."

Lightning was confused. "What do you mean?" She became cautious.

Noctis took a few steps forward, away from her. "I've never been treated like a human. I'm a prince after all. So I'm given great respect. Everyone has seen me as a god, or…" Noctis shied away before finishing, "or a monster."


	6. Chapter 6: The King's Advice

**Chapter 6 – The King's Advice**

Lightning was a little frightened by Noctis' bold statement. A monster? She could understand how some of his people would treat him as a god, since he's a prince and all. But Lightning had no idea how Noctis could be a monster. Was it his crystal power? Did that scare others? She hadn't seen him use it. What made it so terrible?

"What are you saying?" Lightning questioned cautiously.

Noctis was silent. He wished he hadn't brought up the subject. "It's just—"

He was interrupted by a beeping noise coming from his pocket. He apologized before pulling out a cell phone and answering it. After muttering a few "Okays," he returned the device to his pocket.

He looked back at Lightning, "Sorry, but I need to get back. I have to attend something. If you know the way, you can stay here, if you like."

"Why do you have to go?" Lightning asked. She didn't know how to get back and had no choice but to follow him out of the watchman's post.

He turned to her and said, "My father is arriving."

Lightning didn't think it was a big deal to have a king return. Noctis told her he was just in a different country to visit the king of Tenebrae. So why were the citizens so overjoyed to have him back? Better be a damn good king, Lightning anticipated. She stood on her bedroom's balcony, overlooking the castle's courtyard. The inhabitants of the palace were gathered around the long concrete walkway that lead to the front steps of the castle's entrance.

Leaning against the stone rail, Lightning pondered about what Noctis said earlier. A monster? How? Noctis was looking more mysterious every minute. She peered down at him. Her balcony was in just the right position to view the castle's front steps, where Noctis and his friends awaited the king's arrival.

Once Lightning and Noctis got back, she and Gladiolus agreed to just forget the incident they had.

Noctis appeared anxious as he waited. Was his father a bad guy? Did Noctis see him as a father, or just a king he would soon surpass? Lightning would soon find out.

The castle had a monstrous wall before it that connected with the side of the castle. A gate was positioned in the middle of this wall and lead to the main entrance of the large estate. It opened, allowing a black car to drive up towards the steps, stopping halfway there. The chauffeur stepped out and opened the back seat door. The servants cheered as the king came out of the vehicle.

He was tall, maybe about a half foot taller that Lightning. His hair was as black as Noctis' on top but greying at the sides. His chiseled chin was complimented by dark brown eyes and a thin beard connected to his mustache. He wore a suit made of what seemed like the most valuable material money could buy.

The king started for the steps. Noctis immediately straightened his posture as his father came closer.

Lightning saw the king say something to Noctis and his friends once he reached them. She couldn't hear what, nor could she decipher the words from his lip's movements. Someone new, huh?

Just as Lightning thought that, the king looked up to her balcony, meeting her gaze. She stared for a moment before turning around and walking back into her temporary room, her cape flowing behind her.

"Noctis, who was that?" The man asked his son.

"Who?"

"A woman on that balcony," He pointed to where Lightning had stood. "She had pink hair and a cape."

Noctis looked up. He was somewhat nervous to have his father meet the stranger Noctis invited to his castle. Noctis was in charge of the palace, but now that his father was back, however, Noctis was afraid he would not be pleased with his decision to let Lightning stay. That is, until Noctis could explain himself. Then maybe he would understand.

"I'll explain –" Noctis was cut off by Prompto yelling, "His girlfriend!"

The king became puzzled. He hadn't been gone for long. Just what had happened while he was away?

Noctis punched Prompto's arm before finishing, "Ignore him! He's lying!"

Gladiolus leaned over to the king, "No, Noctis just won't admit it!"

Ignis decided to grant his friend salvation. "Your Majesty, let's just talk about it later and get inside."

Noctis gave Ignis a relived look, thankful he had helped. But Ignis wasn't finished yet.

"Noctis wouldn't want to keep his lady friend waiting, now would he?" Ignis smirked. Everyone but Noctis laughed. Even the king snickered at Ignis' teasing. They all started to walk into the castle after settling down.

Lightning marched through the long, dark corridors of the palace. She was searching for Noctis, hoping to find out if the king's return would shorten her stay. It wasn't long before she found out she was lost. Frustrated, she quickened her strides while trying to figure out where she was. Good thing Wen was about as well. She bumped into Lightning after tuning a corner then smiled. "Hello, Lightning. Have you seen his majesty yet?"

Lightning responded, "As a matter of fact, I was just looking for him and Noctis. You seen them?"

Wen shook her head, "Only out in the courtyard, but not after that."

Lightning and Wen were starting to grow close. They got along well and respected each other. Wen understood that Lightning had a tomboyish personality and enjoyed her different ways. Lightning liked that Wen was kind but still stern when she needed to be. Wen was also one of the few people who would engage in conversations with her often. They were becoming fast friends.

Lightning was disappointed that Wen couldn't help her. "Can you give me directions to the courtyard then? Maybe I will run into them on the way."

"Of course!" Wen answered. After telling her where to go, Lighting continued her hunt, a little more aware of where she was. She was a little familiar with the castle, but not much.

She strode down the winding corridors, but she didn't think she went the right way. Where was Noctis? Where was she? Lightning's impatience grew as she started to think she took a wrong turn. She attempted to recall Wen's instructions again.

Her search soon ended. She went around a corner and was greeted by an unpleasant collision with Noctis before falling to the cold onyx floor. Prompto helped Lightning up while a man pulled Noctis to his feet. The same man the servants had cheered for.

Once standing, Noctis greeted Lightning with an awkward "hello."

"So, this is our guest, Noctis?" The man asked with a slight grin. He reached his hand out to her. "I am Solis Centra Caelum. Pleased to meet you."

Lighting crossed her arms. "Lightning Farron." She plainly said. King Caelum let his arm fall back to his side. He didn't expect her disrespectful answer. Everyone normally took great care of their actions while in his presence.

"Well, you are free to stay here until you recover. Noctis has explained your situation. I will ensure that everything is to your liking."

Lightning said in an uncaring tone, "Thanks, but there's no need to go through the trouble, Solis." None of the men expected her to use his first name. He was supposed to be addressed as "your grace" or "your majesty," some formal title.

Noctis couldn't believe her impudence. Noctis didn't mind her behavior towards him, he actually liked that she treated him like every other person. But this was his father, the man who ruled the kingdom. The one who raised him as well. He tapped Lightning's shoulder and whispered, "Show some respect."

She wasn't happy to hear that. "Why should I?" She yelled.

The rest of the men's conversations stopped.

"Is there a problem?" King Caelum asked.

Noctis was getting frustrated with Lightning. "Excuse us." He said, pulling Lightning off to the side.

The king turned to the other three men. "Why is Noctis acting so strange around her?" He asked.

Prompto and Gladiolus said in unison, "Because she's his girlfriend!"

Ignis rolled his eyes. He tried to say that Noctis was strange around her because he hasn't gotten relatively close to a woman before, which was somewhat true. He would have answered any question the king had if it weren't for the sound that reverberated throughout the corridors: the sound of a slap coming from Lightning and Noctis' direction. They all turned to see Noctis falling on the floor, holding the side of his face. Lightning barely glanced at them before walking off, obviously fuming.

They rushed to Noctis as he was getting up. "I'm fine." He ushered, still grasping his cheek.

"Dude! Let me see the mark!" Prompto was trying to force Noctis' hand off of his face. Once he succeeded, the men let out several gasps at the dark red hand mark Lightning gave him.

"Damn!" Gladiolus said. "That must've hurt like hell!"

King Caelum wasn't happy to see his son slapped hard enough to where he would fall. He asked Noctis why she hit him. Noctis answered, "It was justified. I said something that sounded rather rude."

The king was shocked to hear his son's explanation, but even more surprised to see that he was blushing as he said it. The other guys started snickering. "What's so funny?" Noctis demanded.

"Noctis, may I speak with you?" King Caelum requested. Noctis became anxious. Was his father angry? Concerned? "Of course, your majesty." He said.

The two left the other men as King Caelum clarified, "It's alright to call me 'father' you know." Noctis just nodded. He was always nervous around him. Some things in the past made their relationship a little dicey at times. The ruler decided to get straight to the point. "Noctis, is there something about that girl you…" he tried to find a fitting word. "… Admire?" He saw the young prince's face flush again.

"Of course not."

Solis chuckled, "Okay then, I guess I'll have to find out for myself."

Noctis was getting very annoyed that everyone was teasing him about Lightning. "Why does everybody say that?"

"Because you blush every time she comes up."

Noctis didn't answer. He felt foolish. He couldn't deny that his face burned when she came around. But that didn't mean anything. Sure he liked how strong, independent, and cunning she was. Not to mention her good looks and hidden gentleness she never showed. Noctis found himself having more and more of these thoughts; He would constantly think about what he liked about Lightning. But it didn't mean one single thing!

The king decided to break the silence, "She seems…pleasant. Just what did you say to her that made her so upset?"

"I'd rather not say…"

King Caelum dropped the subject. They walked down the corridors in silence. It wasn't long before they came to a hallway that had one wall on their right that was completely made up of windows with no glass covering them, just open arches to the outside world. You could view the training grounds for advanced soldiers through them. Thick grass covered the grounds, except for a large section in the middle that was covered by concrete. Few trees were around, just the same as any other plants. The grounds were made of the wall Noctis and Solis were looking from and three others of the castle, forming a rectangular space for training. There was no roof over the spot, allowing sunlight to fill the open space. Many warriors performed acrobatic tricks, aimed their guns at targets, or sparred with another in a sword battle.

The old King saw Noctis' face light up as he looked to the training area. He quickly saw why: Lightning was propped up against a wall on the opposite side of them, watching the soldiers hone their skills.

"Ignis said she was a fighter earlier. It's no wonder she out there." He smiled as he saw Noctis grimace at his voice. He must have not expected him to discover the source of his joy so fast.

Noctis stopped walking and told him, "I don't think it's a good idea for her to be out there. She could get into a fight with the other men."

"Well, I certainly want to see her skills. But I'm not sure she would last long without a weapon." The king started towards a stairwell that was connected to one arched window that lead to the grounds.

Lightning, leaning against a wall in the training area, watched several soldiers as they sparred with each other. She wasn't very impressed. They had advanced skills, but nothing too outstanding; not compared to what she could do. She saw a soldier land on his backside as he attempted a back hand spring. It was funny to her, so she laughed a little. He heard her chuckling and approached her.

"You think that's funny?" He yelled. Lightning raised a hand to her sheath that used to hold her saber, but since it had been confiscated there was nothing to reach for, so she let it fall. It was a force of habit to reach for it whenever things started to get sticky.

"Why would I laugh if it wasn't?" She taunted. She could tell his face was turning red with rage, even though he had a mask on. He, just like the other men training, wore the same uniform the soldiers who tried to capture her when she first arrived here did.

"Like you could do better!"

"In fact, I could." She countered.

"Yeah right! Women can't fight! They're too weak and frail!"

Lightning was ready to murder this guy. She was one of the few female Guardian Corpse members. She had to work twice as hard to earn her position. Not even her rank would stop the other male members from giving her crap about her gender. She didn't put up with it then and certainly wouldn't now.

"You wanna say that again?" She asked, prepared to tear him apart. By now, other warriors gathered around to support their ally's debate. Lightning didn't care. She could take all of them down in minutes, despite how many of them there were.

"Yeah, in fact, I'm sure all of us are interested in proving you wrong with a little rumble."

"Fine. All of you against me, here and now."

` Half the soldiers let out a "huh?" before she charged.

Noctis and his father had seen this whole event unfold. Gladiolus, Prompto, and Ignis were already listening in. They heard it all from one side of the training center, probably hoping for a fight to break out as they watched the scene. Not only had she challenged them to a battle, but she was easily winning. She wasn't using any weapon, only her hand-to-hand combat skills. All of her opponents had either a sword or firearm. But she took them down one by one with her bare hands. She kicked several soldiers down at once then flipped through the air before punching another man to the ground. She even took a soldier's weapon by twisting his arm behind his back and seizing it from his hands. Noctis was amazed she could take down multiple advanced combatants weaponless and single handed. It wasn't long before every man was crumpled on the concrete or grass, moaning. They all regretted taking her on.

Noctis thought he could use this battle to his advantage. He excused himself from his father, saying he had to fetch something.

Lightning scoffed at the weaklings by her feet. Although, she had taken more time than she anticipated. Hopefully she wasn't getting rusty. After all, these weren't L'Cie or PSISOM monsters she was dealing with. Just regular humans.

"Pretty remarkable." She heard a voice behind her say. She spun around, engaging her battle stance to see Noctis wielding a blade in his hand. He seemed to be hiding something else.

"What do you want?" She scornfully asked, recalling his rude words from earlier. Suddenly, he flung something at her. Lightning caught it a few inches from her face. The projectile was her gunblade. Befuddled by his returning of her saber, she raised an eyebrow at him.

"After what I said, I believe it to be best to settle our dispute over a duel." He suggested. Lightning knew he was up to something.

"You'll use your crystal powers to strike me down. It would be easy considering they weaken me. Why would I be humiliated like that?" She skeptically pointed out.

Noctis remembered how his powers hurt her. He still hadn't figured out why. Even so, he smiled, "True, but I promise this is strictly a battle of skill, not power. I also don't use my powers against friends. If you're still not interested, we can make this a little more interesting. Why don't we place a bet?"

Lightning couldn't get this guy. One minute he's serious. Another he's rude and commanding. Sometimes he was cocky and humorous. Other times he was gentle, sincere, sweet… Lighting shook her head, forcing her mind out of the gutter. Why was she thinking like that anyway? "I'm game. What's our bet?"

Noctis' grin grew bigger, "The winner gets a prize from the loser. How about if you win, I give you a map to the castle? That way you won't get lost." Lightning thought that was fair. She sure could use a map. But just what did he desire from her? "If I win, however," He continued, "you have to go to the watchman's post with me whenever I ask."

Back at the sidelines, Noctis' father and friends' mouths were wide open with astonishment. What was he up to?

Lightning was thinking the same thing. Why did he want to spend so much time with her? He should know that she could beat him to a pulp if he tried anything fishy. She didn't mind spending time with him though. She actually began to enjoy his presence.

There I go again, she told herself. Why do I keep thinking these strange things? And why are they only about Noctis?

Knowing she wouldn't lose, Lightning moved into her battle stance, glad to have her saber back. Noctis knew he would lose without using his powers. He relied on them too much to fight someone with as much skill as Lightning's without them. But he wanted to see – no —experience what she could do.

Noctis turned his back to her. "Okay, I'll warn you: I may not be a professional like you, but – "He couldn't finish his warning. As he turned to face her and commence the battle, she was already lashing her saber at him, impelling him to jump back. He was just barely fast enough to move out of the blade's tip without receiving a nasty scratch. He stumbled onto his feet before blocking Lightning's next slash. She continued to whip her blade at him, Noctis releasing several powerful strikes as well. Noctis began obtaining the upper hand. He heard her snap with her left hand. Then she abruptly leaped over his head and kicked him in the shoulder, knocking him down.

"What was that?" He asked while regaining the wind he had lost.

"An AMP: Antimatter Manipulation Principle. It allows me to defy gravity at my command." Normally, a person would grin at such an advantage. But she stayed emotionless, focused; Just as a well-trained warrior should.

So, she had a few tricks up her sleeve? Noctis knew to keep a close eye on her movements now. They were at each other again, waiting for the other to make a fatal mistake. Noctis allowed her to come close to scratching his chest with her saber in order to swipe the gunblade from her hands. Lucky for him, the strategy was successful. It flipped behind him, the blade sticking straight up in the ground thirty feet away. Noctis was about to claim his victory. Too bad he underestimated her. She started punching at his face and summersaulting, performing multiple flips and spins. She even kicked him as she stood on her hands once. Noctis tried to stop her by taking another swing at her side. She ducked, letting one of her legs trip him and send him to the ground with a thud.

Lightning dashed for her sword as Noctis attained his composure once again. He was hot on her trail. He was positive that she would finish the conflict if she reached her saber. She jumped for the hilt, grabbed it, and blocked Noctis' blade. The metal generated sparks as they collided. The shock made Noctis take a few steps backwards. He prayed for the chance to get one last strike. He swung his fonchier at her.

He was too late. She hit his sword aside and forced him to the grass with a well-placed kick. Lightning aimed the saber's tip at his throat. Her foot pinned him to the ground.

Noctis' father and friends thought Lightning would kill him. He had granted her the perfect opportunity to. Noctis wasn't as convinced. He knew she wouldn't hesitate to stop his breathing if she wanted to. But for some reason, he trusted her enough to believe she wouldn't take his life.

Lightning just stood there. She knew if she killed him she'd end up in jail, meaning she would never return home. But that wasn't the only reason she didn't do anything. Even though he had plucked her from her world and thrown her head first into another, made her emotions go haywire, and not to mention his teasing, she wasn't slitting his throat because… She couldn't; she didn't want to. She had been taught to show no mercy, to end the lives of her enemies without a second thought. But she just couldn't do that to him. She felt that it would make her happier to have him with her. But it seemed to strange: she had never felt this way before, not once.

Lightning stepped off of Noctis and removed her blade from his neck. Noctis slowly sat up, staring at her. He was happy to see that she liked him enough to spare him. "Looks like I owe you a map." Noctis remarked. Lightning flipped her blade into a gun before she stuck it back in its sheath. Noctis figured she could keep it with her, since she had proven that she could be trusted with it now. Noctis stood to face her. "I've never been beaten so quickly. You're pretty amazing."

Lightning denied that. "You made several mistakes." She paced in front of him as she criticized his fighting. She reminded him of a general scolding his troops. "When you got me in tough spots you acted as if you already won, thus lowering your defenses enough for me to counter. Your balance was off and strikes sloppy and predictable. You relied too much on your sword to fight. If you lost it in a real fight, you would have been a goner. You need to be able to fight without it. You used a lot of careless moves as well. I'd practice a little more if I were you."

Noctis was fascinated by her knowledge of combat. Not even his best generals understood as much as her. She could point out every screw up he made, not to mention recommending some tips. "Maybe you could teach me," Noctis said with a bright smile, one you would imagine on a prince. Only this prince didn't have blonde locks and fancy attire to go with it.

Lightning thought Noctis had a nice smile. It made him look much more handsome. She couldn't stop herself from giving a slight smile back. "Maybe I'll think about it." She headed for the training ground's stairwell that lead to the hallway Noctis had come from. Just before scaling the steps, she called back, "I expect that map to be in my hands before tonight."

Noctis watched her leave him once again. At that moment, Noctis realized he really liked the way she walked. Noctis' friends all come over to him so they could pick on him about his loss. King Caelum, on the other hand, followed Lightning back into the castle.

Solis found Lightning leaning against one of the thick arch's walls, overlooking Noctis and his friends. "That was pretty amazing out there." He claimed.

Startled, she turned to him. Her hand was placed on her gunblade's handle before she realized it was only him. "It was nothing. But thanks anyway."

Solis walked up to her and watched Prompto pull Noctis into a headlock as Ignis and Gladiolus laughed. "It's been so long since I heard someone call me by my first name. I normally receive a higher title."

"Sorry, but just because you're royalty doesn't mean you're any better than another person. Therefore, I treat you like everyone else."

The king peered down at her. "That may be why Noctis likes you. You treat him as an equal, just as his companions do." He saw the four young men chatter among themselves, his gaze lingering on his beloved son.

Lightning was hoping Solis wasn't serious when he said Noctis "liked" her. "It's not very good he likes me."

Solis wasn't sure what she meant. He could tell she was holding back her feelings towards Noctis. Noctis had always done the same with his feelings about everything, so he was always aware when someone had something on their mind. And he was sure Noctis was beginning to mean something to her. "Why is that?"

"I can't stay here forever. I'll have to leave very soon. I have people I need to get back to. I don't belong here either. If I get too attached to everyone here…" She stared out to Noctis, Prompto, Ignis, and Gladiolus. "… It will be harder to leave."

Solis guessed that must have been why she was distancing herself from the others. He gave her a sincere look, "Maybe you won't have to leave."

She stared at him with disbelief. "What?"

"Returning to your home may sound right. And at some point you should so your family won't be worried. But maybe you could make this place your home. I don't mind having you here anyway. It makes me happy to see Noctis making new friends."

Lightning didn't like the sound of that. Not return home? So he wanted her to stay here? "What are you saying?"

He ignored her question, "My wife, Noctis' late mother, she used to say this phrase to him all the time when he was young. Maybe it could help." He made a soft tone, emphasizing his words: "Sometimes the right decision isn't always the best decision. The best decision is always the one that follows your heart."

Lightning took those words very seriously. She wished she could have heard those words years ago. He looked back to the men who were making their way back to the castle. "If your heart tells you to go back home, then go. No one will stop you. But just be sure that going back is what you truly want to do." With that, he walked away from Lightning, allowing her to think over those thoughts.

The king missed his queen. If only that accident never occurred.


	7. Chapter 7: Chocobos and Fried Food

**Chapter 7 – Chocobos and Fried Food**

Noctis and his friends met up with Lightning just outside the training center. Prompto immediately came up to her and exclaimed, "Heya, Light! That was awesome! You totally kicked Noctis' ass!" Noctis blushed and shrugged his shoulders.

"Yeah…" She responded, still pondering Solis' words. Noctis heard her plain tone clearly. "Something wrong?"

Lightning shook her head. "No, it's nothing. Just thinking."

Ignis looked over to Noctis. "There are some maps to the castle in the library. We should all get Lightning's winnings together." He suggested, pushing up his glasses.

"I'm up for that." Gladiolus agreed. They all looked to Lightning for her approval. She nodded. "Lead the way."

The library was massive. It had monstrous wooden shelves that stood at fifty feet tall, the high ceiling looming above it. Each one's shelves were stocked with hundreds upon hundreds of books about various subjects. The walls were a blue-green, complimenting the seaweed green marble floor. Several tables were set up with chairs. Some antique couches inhabited the room's perimeter. The place must have been able to fit at least two hundred people in it, including the furniture and large bookcases. Lightning's boots clicked against the polished stone floor as she walked. Noctis' black boots did the same as he walked beside her, Prompto, Ignis, and Gladiolus close by. The four guys spoke with each other, although, Lightning wasn't talking much. Noctis wanted her to be included in their fun.

"You sure you want a map? It would be much more fun for me to lead you to wherever you need to go." Noctis smiled over at Lightning, abandoning the boys' conversation.

"Really? It doesn't sound so great to me." She had a little acid in her tone.

"Why not?"

With the same acidic voice, she explained, "Because I would look so helpless. And I can take care of myself. I don't need you to chaperone me."

Noctis leaned over to her slightly, then whispered his response so his friends could not hear. "I don't want to baby sit you; It would be fun because I would get to see you more."

Lightning nearly stopped dead in her tracks. Partially for what he said, but also because she liked the idea of having him around so much. What was happening? Lightning's feelings always stirred when he was near her. But how come, dammit? Lightning couldn't answer him. She had no idea what to say anymore. She hated him when they met. But now…

Noctis felt her discomfort. "Sorry, that may have not been something you wanted to hear.

Lightning shook her head. "Actually… it's okay."

Prompto, Ignis and Gladiolus sensed the moment Noctis and Lightning were having. They shared the same idea. Prompto decided to come up with the excuse. "Well Noct, we still want to do a little planning for guys' night tonight."

Gladiolus added, "Yeah, so we'll take care of that."

Ignis concluded, "But you should make sure Lightning gets her map. So you do that yourself. After all, you know exactly where they are."

The three exited the library so quickly that Lightning and Noctis weren't even sure why they left yet. Lightning asked, "Guys' night?"

Noctis answered, "We like to get out a few times a month. So we plan a guys' night where we just hang out. You know, take a break." He turned and started walking. "Now, let's find that map."

Lightning followed. He took her into a closet after unlocking the door with a set of keys he had with him. The room had a lower ceiling with smaller bookcases, but these shelves contained more ancient looking books and scrolls. He walked over to a shelf on the bookcase in the far corner of the square room. He scanned the shelf that held multiple rolled up scrolls. He selected one and handed it to her. "That should pay my debt."

She opened it to reveal the detailed guide of the castle's rooms. "I would expect a palace as large as this one to have secret passages or something."

Noctis smirked, "If it was on the map, then it wouldn't be a secret, now would it?" He held the door open to let her out first. After letting her leave, Noctis locked the door again. Lightning didn't think sealing the door was necessary. "Why do you have to lock it?"

He became serious. "It was actually careless of me to let you in. Some of those documents are far too important to leave lying around." He gestured to the map in her hands. "If an enemy got a hold of that, it would be easy for them to make a plan to invade the castle. To keep these files safe from spies or intruders, we keep them in many locked rooms. Only my father and I have the keys. Servants need special permission to access these rooms."

"Then why did you offer me such an important prize for our fight?"

He relaxed again and gave her yet another smile. He did that a lot around her. "I trust you enough to let you keep it. We have some more copies, so it's yours. Just be careful with it."

Lightning was so shocked by her heart fluttering from his smile. It got worse when he said her trusted her so much. She flushed. "Well… Thanks."

Noctis, realizing what he said, asked, "Uh… okay… W-Well, you're free to go where you please. I've slacked off for too long and need to get some work done." He stuttered. Lightning was feeling tired from the long day. Her waist and shoulder burned from her wounds. It was probably a bad idea to fight so hard when she was injured. Opening her wounds only prolonged her stay.

The evening was fast approaching. "I was hoping to just rest in my room."

"That's fine. I'll go with you."

Noctis had confused Lightning again. "But I have the map. I can find my own way."

"I know. I just want to go with you. I'd much rather spend my time with you than paperwork anyway."

He was starting to sound strange. Why did he want to be with her so much? He advanced forward, leading Lightning out, but she stopped him. "I want to find my own way." She said.

Lightning was focused on the map as they walked. Noctis liked how she took charge. He liked to watch her work and concentrate. She was so skilled and passionate about everything she did. Despite his light feeling, he still felt guilty.

"Hey, remember what I said earlier?"

She didn't turn her attention from her map. "What about it?" Why was he bringing it up?

He thought maybe he shouldn't have unearthed the subject again. "Well… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have ordered you around like that. It's just that you treated my father like anyone else. I just think for what he's done, he deserves a little more respect. But that didn't give me any reason to command you to do anything."

"Forget it. I would have done the same thing if it were my father." Lightning was still staring at her map. Noctis began to laugh. That actually made her look up. "What's so funny?"

Noctis said in between chuckles, "You're just hard to figure out." Lightning raised an eyebrow and stopped advancing so she could face him. He stopped snickering to explain, "It's just, you're concealed and defensive at times, but at others, you're…" He broke off. "Sorry, I'm not good with words."

Lightning wanted to know what he thought. She could tell he was having some emotional strain. Lightning often noticed he would open up for a while, but soon shut down later. "What were you going to say?"

He peered down at her icy blue eyes. "You can be sincere and… kind." Their gazes locked for those moments. Lightning and Noctis were unaware of anything other than each other. Lightning felt exceptionally awkward with them just staring at each other. But she also didn't want to look away. She wanted to stand there with him forever. Even so, she went back to her map. She didn't say anything as she continued to search for her room, not checking if Noctis was following her.

Noctis indeed did tail her. He felt the same feeling Lightning had. He wanted to stay with her, even though he felt so strange just looking at her. Over all, he felt so weak for exposing his emotions. He was never one to express himself. For some reason, he enjoyed talking with Lightning. Sharing his thoughts seemed natural when he was with her. After a few turns, Lightning successfully made it to her quarters.

Noctis was proud of her for finding it on her own. "Good job." He congratulated her.

"It's no big deal." She came to the door and turned the gold knob. Noctis had to ask her; he wasn't sure why though.

"Before you go," He said, she halted in the doorway and looked at him, awaiting his request. He nervously asked, "Remember how I said me and the guys were hanging out tonight? We're not doing anything… inappropriate. What I'm trying to ask is…" He paused. Why did he want to invite her again? "Do you want to come with us? Just so we can all loosen up and have fun?"

Lightning thought he was getting weirder and weirder. First he compliments me a lot, then he says he likes being with me, and now he's inviting me to a… guys' night out? Lightning thought he was getting too particularly close to her now. But she liked the idea of getting to scope out the city. That way she would have a chance to escape if things went wrong later. Spending time with Noctis sounded fun, too. Lightning caught herself thinking that way about him a lot now. She wanted to stop; quit allowing herself to know him too well. She couldn't leave if she became too caring for everyone here. She wanted to go for reconnaissance reasons, but the thought of befriending the guys made her worry. She couldn't decide now. "I'll think about it."

Noctis was slightly disappointed to hear her response, but not all hope was lost. She could change her mind later. "Okay. We were going out for dinner before doing other things. I'll come by again before then to see if you're coming."

Lightning nodded before shutting the door. Lightning listened for Noctis' fading footsteps to completely vanish. After, she went to black curtains covering the glass door that played as a barrier between Lightning and the outside world. She moved the cloth aside, opened the door, and stepped out onto the grey, stone platform. She could barely see over the castle's gates to the city. People wandered about, going where ever they had business. Lightning found herself wondering what her friends were doing now. Looking for her? Going about their usual business? Had they decided to forget her?

Meanwhile…

Fang searched for hours. She sent men out investigating the Mah'habara instead of killing monsters. She and Snow, being her second in command, both looked though every nook and cranny of the long tunnels. But nothing was found. After about fifty P.L.R. members at once went to find Lightning and came back empty-handed, Fang decided to look for her herself.

Fang arrived at the place Vanille said Lightning was sucked into a strange portal. The wall where this so-called gate had been was still unscathed, showing no signs of anything abnormal. Fang sighed and sat down on a nearby rock. She never took her eyes off of that wall. "Lightning," She mumbled, "Where are you?"

Fang became angry again. It was her fault Serah had lost her only sister. Her fault Hope didn't have his combat teacher to help him on the battlefield. Her fault Vanille felt awful for not being able to save Lightning. She was to blame for it all. Fang abruptly stood, cursing herself. "Why didn't I go? She yelled. "Why was I stupid enough so send her, dammit!" She came closer to the wall, glaring at it. She pulled up her arm, her hand in a fist, and punched it with all her might. A great shock went through her body, her right shoulder burning the most. She yelped in pain before stumbling back. What was that? She reached out and touched it again. It burned her, just as before, especially where her brand used to be. Fang was puzzled. None of her men reported that power emanating from the wall. None of them were ever L'Cie either.

Lightning missing, a disappearing portal, a power that scorned L'Cie only; What did it all mean? How did all of this add up?

Serah and Snow walked along the shoreline of New Bodhum with Sazh. Each of them reported what they had found while searching for Lightning: Nothing.

"Gone without a trace." The black man said. "Man, that's just nuts!"

Snow agreed, "None of this makes sense."

Serah added, "And not finding any evidence of where she may be is strange too. We've called her communicator several times. She normally answers, but nothing now." Serah's voice was weakened and sad.

Snow held her hand. "Don't worry guys. I promise I will find her. Even if it's the last thing I do." Snow smirked. "Just leave it to the hero."

Sazh rolled his eyes, knowing all too well how arrogant Snow could be. Serah smiled, "I believe you. And I'm going to do everything I can to help!" But Serah wasn't fully sure if she did believe her husband. Lightning had been gone for over a week now…

"You did what?" Gladiolus screamed at the prince. He had crashed guys' night and all.

"I thought she needed to get out, so I guessed she may want to go to guys' night with us," Noctis explained. "Besides, it's not like we do anything that'll offend her or something."

Gladiolus looked down at his shorter friend. "I don't mean that! It's just that the last time we tried hanging out with her you got slapped."

"But it's different now. She's gotten more used to us. She's been here for a week and hasn't seen anything other than the inside walls. Doesn't she deserve to get out?"

Ignis pushed up his glasses. "He's right. She's seemed to have adapted to everything. And it's not fair to lock her up. She's a guest, not a prisoner."

Prompto, always being the one to make friends, concurred. In a hyper tone, he said, "Yeah! It'd be more fun with her! The more, the merrier!"

Gladiolus clarified, "I'm not against her coming, actually, I'm all for it. I just don't want another misunderstanding."

Noctis felt the same. He didn't like seeing his friends upset; especially not Lightning. "Don't get all hyped yet. She hasn't said yes, but she's still thinking about it."

Prompto questioned, "We're leaving in a half hour. Shouldn't you check back now?" Noctis nodded. Just then, King Caelum entered the room they were conversing in.

"Noctis, may I talk with you?" He asked. Noctis reluctantly followed his father out. Ignis was the first to speak after Noctis' exit, "So, who wants to go see what Lightning has decided?"

Prompto jumped from his seat, nearly dropping his shotgun on the way up. "I will!" Without another word, he left for Lightning's room.

Gladiolus and Ignis sighed in unison, "Same old Prompt."

Back in Lightning's room, she and Wen were talking. They bounced from topic to topic, just enjoying each other's company. Wen said, "I don't think they're avoiding you, just afraid of what may happen. Most likely because of last time."

Lightning responded, "I guess so. But still…" The boys weren't talking to her as much anymore. It was nice to have some peace, but she was curious as to why the sudden shift of character.

"On a different note, I overheard Noctis say to his father that he invited you out with him and his friends tonight."

"He did. I don't know if I'll be going."

"Why not?"

"It's just… awkward." She couldn't say why. Lightning didn't want to reveal all the secret stirrings Noctis made in her.

Wen shook her head. "I think it's sweet. He's been trying to make friends with you the whole time you've stayed here."

"But I don't want to make so many friends."

Wen tilted her head, "But we're not that bad. We want to be here for you."

Lightning didn't want to hear this. "It will just me be more difficult to leave if I make friends."

"Well, maybe that's true, but you could always come back."

Lightning never considered that. "I don't know if I can." She wasn't lying: She wasn't even sure if she could go home at all.

Wen reassured her, "Of course you can. Then we can meet your friends and family."

Lightning looked down. "How do I know they haven't left me behind yet? They haven't contacted me or spoken to me at all since I came here."

Wen became stern. "None of that angst now. I'm positive they are longing for you. I know I would." Wen smiled again.

"Thanks, Wen. You've been a great help." Lightning was glad she had someone to smack her out of her ruts. Normally it would be Fang or Serah. Sometimes Hope.

"It is my pleasure."

A knock sounded at the door. Wen and Lightning stood simultaneously. Wen apologized, "I must be going. My break is probably over by now." Lightning opened the door to see Prompto. He greeted, "Hiya, ladies!" He moved aside for Wen to leave. Lightning answered him with a "Hi."

So far so good, Prompto thought. She at least said "hi" back. "Well, we need to know if you're going out with us. We're leaving in about twenty minutes. Noct would have come, but he was busy."

Lightning remembered what Wen had told her. She encouraged her to make friends. Maybe she should. "Fine, I'll go."

Prompto plastered on a huge grin, "Awesome! Let's go!" He seized her arm and dragged her back to the other guys. Noctis had returned by the time they arrived. As soon as they entered, Prompto exclaimed, "She's coming with!"

Noctis brightened. He was glad she would get to have some fun with them. "Great." He said. "We can go now."

They all walked out of the room. Noctis was beside Lightning the whole time they were on their way outside. "I'm happy you're coming."

There he went again. Lightning knew would say something like that. He always got so nice around her. "It's nothing, really."

"On the contrary; we have to pack weeks' worth of fun into a few hours. It's no small matter."

Great, Lightning thought. Maybe I shouldn't have come. By now they had made it to the castle's courtyard. An elegant black car awaited them near the gate's doors. The great barrier opened before all of them got in. Ignis climbed into the driver's seat as Prompto called "shotgun." As they took their seats in the car, Lightning looked out to the open gates. She had her weapon, there wasn't anything valuable to her in the castle, and he had an easy opportunity to escape and get home. She analyzed her options, trying to figure out what she should do. Then Solis' words dawned on her.

What did her heart want?

Noctis saw Lightning staring out to the city streets as he was preparing to get into the vehicle. He was afraid she would actually run off on them. The other three joined him at his pondering. Would she run? Does she really want to go or use this as a way to get home? Noctis spoke, "Hey!"

Lightning looked back at them. She peered at Noctis as he said, "Something wrong?"

He said that to her often. But she liked how he was always concerned. She realized she didn't want to leave. She would rather stay with the guys; with Noctis. "Yeah." She answered. She came over to the car. Noctis smiled. She had a chance to run away and escape his clutches. But she chose to stay. She wanted to stay. He stepped into the car. Gladiolus sat on his right, Lightning on his left. He couldn't be any more pleased. His friends were going out, he could have a break from all his royal duties, and the one he started to consider special to him was coming with him.

Lightning didn't expect so many people to be out and about at this time of the evening. The town square was bustling with so many chatting citizens that it was hard to even move without bumping into someone. Noctis didn't want his identity to be discovered. The surrounding people would surely overreact and ruin their fun night, so he had to wear a hooded jacket to hide his face. Lightning thought it looked good on him. Since weapons weren't allowed in the city, as Lightning learned the hard way, Prompto left his shotgun in their car.

The five headed for the town square. A fair was being held there. Lightning wasn't sure what for, but all she knew was it attracted a lot of attention. There were so many food stands around that the common area was full of exotic smells. Game booths were surrounded by small children and their joyful parents. There was a surplus of candy and sweets stands nearby.

Noctis turned to Lightning, "There is plenty of food around here. Pick what you like." She looked around to see what options were available. She saw mostly fried food and junk food booths around her. She didn't want to pig out now, especially since she wouldn't be doing much around the castle. The bad food and lack of exercise wouldn't give her good health. Gladiolus and Prompto were buying anything edible. Noctis had a few things. Ignis chose one or two. Lightning, however, didn't select anything yet. She wasn't sure what to get.

Noctis noticed her dilemma. "Here," he gave her a plastic plate of various meats Lightning hadn't seen before. "It's wyvern and behemoth meat. It's a lot better than it sounds. Try some."

Lightning took the plate from him. She picked up the fork he gave her and used it to stab a piece of meat. Lightning thought it was very good. Somewhat better than some meat she tried at home. Noctis looked down to her. "Well? How is it?"

"It's great."

"You can feel free to pick more. It's all on me."

Lightning didn't want to put him through the trouble of paying. "I'll be fine."

She chose a bad time to be stubborn. Noctis just had to choose something for her. Even Prompto and Gladiolus ushered her to try the things they got. After a while, Lightning started feeling full. She even found herself laughing at their foolishness. Noctis realized he was constantly smiling. Having Lightning with him brightened his mood.

Gladiolus caught Noctis' overwhelming joy. He pulled him into a headlock. "Awww! Look at Noctis getting all soft!"

Prompto teased him with Gladiolus. Lightning stood back with Ignis. Neither of them were the talkative type. It was odd to just stand there in silence. Ignis, always being the skeptical one, assumed, "You were thinking about running at the palace gates."

He reminded Lightning of herself; she was always blunt like that. "What of it?"

He made eye contact with her this time. "It was a perfect opportunity. No one was there to stop you. But you still didn't take the chance. Why?"

Lightning watched Prompto and Gladiolus mess around with Noctis. "I don't know. I just… couldn't."

Ignis smiled. It was the first time she had seen him smile since she had met him. "Glad to see you're finally warming up to us."

Lightning never would have guessed he would tease her like the other guys. She shot him a glare. The other three returned by then. Prompto said, "So, what'cha guys doing over here now?"

Ignis said, "Questioning your ability to have an attention span that's longer than a squirrel's."

Lightning chuckled as everyone but Prompto laughed. He put on a face that a child would if he didn't get a toy he wanted.

After leaving the town square, they wandered through the streets, finishing the food they bought. It was a short time before they heard birds from around a corner. Prompto suddenly veered off in another direction. The rest followed him, trying to find the cause of his strange behavior. They quickly found it.

"OOOHHH YEAH!" Prompto yelled. A corral of chocobos was in a rounded area of the city. The space was vast. Many people played with and petted the chocobos. They all kweed at the interested humans. Prompto was getting very excited. "I love chocobos! They're just so cool!"

Lightning saw so many colored birds that she felt like she was in a circus. She had only seen yellow, a white, and a black chocobo. Now she saw blue, green, purple, red, even orange chocobos. Any color you could imagine decorated at least one chocobo's feathers.

Noctis liked seeing Lightning so delighted by something familiar. Everyone loved chocobos. "Having fun?" He asked Lightning.

"Actually, yeah. I really like chocobos. They're so fun." Lightning whistled at one to catch its attention. It approached her curiously. She brought her hand to its beak. She stroked its feathers as it kweed. Noctis hadn't seen this side of her before. She seemed so childlike with her guard down. Noctis petted the chocobo too. He couldn't help but stare at her. He'd only known her for a week. But he felt so drawn to her. Almost as if fate had intended for them to meet.

Prompto burst through a few chocobos and ran into Lightning and Noctis. They dodged him seconds before they collided. Gladiolus and Ignis were laughing close behind. Prompto got back to his feet, and then said, "Man, I love chocobos! They just make me so happy. I feel like… skipping!" He started to prance around the chocobos. All of his friends gave their friend weird looks. He truly was insane. He came back to them and grabbed Gladiolus' and Noctis' arms, forcing them to skip with him. They tried to break free, but he wouldn't allow them to. Lightning and Ignis nearly fell over with laughter as they watched their companions make complete idiots of themselves. After getting away from Prompto, Noctis saw Lightning laughing at him and blushed. But he, too, began to laugh at himself.

He liked Lightning's laugh. He cherished the sound. He knew he wouldn't get to hear it often. Regardless, he wanted to change that…by making her happy.

Their night out ended a lot later than they anticipated. Prompto was worn out from prancing about the chocobos. Gladiolus and Ignis were both wiped from keeping an eye on Prompto all night. Noctis, however, was wide awake, fascinated with the new Lightning he saw. He was escorting her back to her room, recalling all that they had done together. Once they reached the door, Lightning found it best to show her gratitude.

"Thanks for inviting me. It helped me feel a little more comfortable around here."

Noctis couldn't have been happier with that. "You welcome. Maybe we could do it again."

Lightning granted him a small smile. "We should."

They stared at each other again, just as they did hours ago. Only this time, Noctis had the urge to lean closer to her. He couldn't bring himself to do it. He was too shy, not only that, but he didn't want to ruin her newly found comfort. Lightning broke their gaze.

"Well, I'll be going to bed." Lightning said. "I will see you in the morning."

"Yeah…" Noctis was still lost in her eyes. "Good night."

"Good night, Noctis."

Noctis was shocked by that. Lightning noticed his surprise. "What?" She asked.

"Nothing, it's just… you've never called me by my name before." He liked the way she said it too.

Lightning never noticed.

"I prefer Noct. Anyway, I'll be seeing you tomorrow, Light."

"See you." Lightning went to her room. She felt so different. She had never experienced these feelings before. She… liked them.

Noctis was overjoyed by her getting used to him. This night had strengthened his feelings for Lightning. From showing her the watchman's post, fighting her, going to guys' night with her, and having her call him by his name, Noctis was positive that this had to have been the best day of his life.


	8. Chapter 8: Homesick

**Chapter 8 – Homesick**

A little over a week had passed since guys' night. Lightning found that she didn't need her map as much now. She had gotten a little more familiar with the castle since then. She also spent more time with Prompto, Ignis, and Gladiolus. Noctis, of course, was around her as much as possible, between his work and duties. Lightning and Wen talked more often as well. The two got along quite well. It had been almost three weeks since Lightning's departure from her world. There weren't many moments when she wasn't thinking about how her friends must have been worried.

Lightning sighed as she stared at her breakfast. The other guys, minus Noctis and Solis, were eating and talking about whatever was going on in the kingdom. Lightning didn't care much for current events. She would much rather find out what was going on in her world. Ignis was the first to see Lightning's dazed state. He asked, "Aren't you hungry? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."

Lightning turned her attention away from the plate. "I know, but I'm not in the mood for eating."

By now, Prompto heard of their separate conversation. "But you gotta eat, Light. No sense in starving yourself." Lightning thought it was strange how Prompto could be a complete lunatic most of the time and then become like Ignis later.

Gladiolus joined in, "He's right. It'd be best for your wounds if you kept your strength up."

Lightning wasn't in the mood for their care. The first week she was here, Lightning didn't feel so bad. But now the homesickness had absorbed her. She liked the guys, and of course Wen was included in her new friend circle here. But this wasn't her home. She couldn't just leave all of her other friends behind for this place. She knew she needed to find a way out soon. If only her wounds would heal faster!

Lightning told them, "I've just got a lot on my mind. I'm going to head back to the training center." She rose from her seat and left the dining room. The men watched her as she walked away from them. They could tell something was wrong. Neither her voice nor her attitude was a confident as it usually was. They all felt concerned for their new friend. She had finally accepted them, just as they did to her.

Gladiolus said, "She seems really bummed. Do you think she's homesick?"

Ignis looked to him. "It's a possibility. Being here for a week may not have been so bad at first, but three can make her lose hope of returning home."

Prompto intervened, "I guess so. But why is she so sad about it? If she lives so far away that it is too difficult to get back, then why did she come here in the first place?"

Ignis, as usual, found the best solution, "She was really confused when she arrived here. It is most likely she got lost or ended up here by accident."

Gladiolus agreed, "It looks like it. She asked a lot of obvious questions before, too, so that seems like the most likely option."

Prompto got a small grin on his face, "Do you think Noct has noticed?"

Gladiolus guessed, "Probably not. He hasn't been around all morning. His father said he hadn't seen him either."

They all looked to each other, having the same idea. It appeared that their prince had overslept.

King Caelum searched for Noctis while getting ready to meet with the council. The council was a group of advisors the king assigned in order to discuss business. The nobles met with him and Noctis a few times a week. But it didn't look like Noctis was coming this time. Where was he?

He almost bumped into Lightning when he rounded a corner. "Oh, hello Lightning. Good morning."

"Morning, Solis." As usual, she greeted him in the same manner she would greet an old friend.

"Have you seen Noctis?"

Lightning was surprised that not even Solis knew where his own son was. "No. He hasn't gotten up yet?"

"It doesn't look like it," He chuckled. "He was up late last night. He's probably in his room still." The royal wasn't mad at Noctis for staying in bed, but he had to get up soon. "If it's okay with you, Lightning, Noctis needs to wake up soon. I'm allowing him to miss a meeting, but he can't sleep all day. If you wouldn't mind, could you wake him up for me?"

Lightning thought it wasn't too much trouble. And she hadn't seen Noctis since yesterday. It couldn't hurt to see him now. "It's alright. I willl go check."

Solis noticed that she sounded a little sad at that last part. "Is everything alright?"

She shook her head. "Just thinking." With that, she walked away to go wake up Noctis. Solis was always happy to see Lightning. Lightning reminded him so much of her…

Lightning had to retrieve her map before finding Noctis' room. His quarters were located in a hallway where all of the council members, King Caelum, and Noctis slept, no one else. She never had a reason to venture down there; until now, of course. She found the door that the map said lead to the prince's chamber. She hoped he wouldn't get angry for her barging in on him. He could be awake already. Or worse: Changing into his day clothes. Lightning blushed at that. That would make their relationship extremely awkward.

She lightly knocked to make sure he was still sleeping. No one answered. She grabbed the knob, turned it, and entered the room. A large glass window faced her. She could see it lead to a balcony like hers did; only Noctis' was much bigger. She saw other closed doors along the walls, each one probably hiding an office, closet, etc. On the wall to the right, sat a big square bed covered with black sheets. It looked very comfortable. Lightning was half tempted to go and see how it felt. She couldn't if she wanted to. A sleeping prince was already on it, snoring slightly.

Lightning approached the bed, not making a sound. She wanted to get a closer look at Noctis. His expression was peaceful. He looked so vulnerable when he was sleeping. She almost didn't want to wake him up. But she made a promise to make sure he didn't waste his day away. She reached out to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. She carefully shook his arm, whispering, "Noctis. Noctis, wake up. Come on, I don't have all day."

Noctis wasn't sure who was interrupting his slumber until he heard that last part. It couldn't have been anyone else… But what was she doing in his room? Noctis opened his eyes. Once he saw Lightning leaning over his bed, he became so nervous that he sat up abruptly. She jumped back, avoiding his head as it came up. "Lightning? What are you doing in here?" He asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Your dad asked me to wake you up. You're missing a meeting right now." She explained. Noctis felt foolish for sleeping in so long. He was even more embarrassed that his father, of all people, thought it was best to send a woman into his room while he was sleeping. Not that he minded waking up to see Lightning. She wore her usual outfit, just as every other day.

Lightning could feel herself blushing. Noctis looked… cute in his current state. His hair was disheveled, he looked sleepy, and he wasn't wearing a shirt. Lightning looked away in order to keep herself from staring. She accepted that she occasionally had weird feelings for Noctis. She still didn't know why. She used to have small thoughts of how she liked his smile or something. Now she admired how handsome he was, how he tried to joke around with her, how he cared for all his friends. She almost didn't want to admit it, but she was developing some feelings for him. Or, at least, that was her best guess.

Noctis was aware of how he felt. He knew that he admired Lightning. He thought she was passionate, beautiful, strong, independent, but also kind… He could go on for a while. He thought she was amazing. But something continued to bother him: She reminded him of someone, but he wasn't sure who. He shrugged off the thought. He then noticed how he only had a pair of pajama pants on with no shirt. He blushed at scratched his head. "Uhh… Sorry. This is… a little… embarrassing." He said.

Lightning looked back to him. "Okay… I'll just go now."

"Wait." He requested. She waited for him to continue. "Thanks for getting me up. I appreciate it." Lightning simply nodded and walked out. Noctis found himself smiling again. He liked being around her so much, he felt empty when she wasn't around. He had to quickly change and go find her.

Noctis knew exactly where to look for her. She hung out at the training center a lot. Ever since her rumble with the soldiers, they never had a problem with her around. They actually had respect for her skill. Noctis even caught her helping out a few men before.

Noctis went down the stairs that granted access to the field, and sure enough, Lightning was there. She had her blade out, practicing a few swings with it. He progressed to her, having high spirits. "Hi again." He said to her.

"Hey." She responded plainly. Her tone was sad. Noctis was sure of it.

"Something wrong?" He asked Lightning that often. He was always concerned for her. Whenever she seemed upset, he automatically asked that question.

"I'm fine."

Stubborn, as usual. "It doesn't look like it." He said.

She glared at him. "I said I was fine."

"And I said it doesn't look like it." Lightning was about to walk away from him. She didn't want to talk right now. She only wanted to think. She began to leave, but her grabbed her wrist. She tried to pull it away. He had a tight grip, not prepared to let her go just yet.

"Let me go!" She growled.

"Not until you let me help you!" He countered.

"I don't need your help!"

"Yes, you do."

"No, I don't."

Noctis was getting frustrated. He wouldn't have her going about while she was so down. As her friend, it was his duty to make sure she was happy. He attempted a softer strategy. "Lightning, I don't want to fight with you, especially not over something this silly. I want you to be happy. So, please, will you tell me what's bothering you?"

Lightning was speechless. Where did that come from? He got so sincere so suddenly. Was he really that concerned? "I don't want to talk."

"What if we go somewhere private? That way no one can eavesdrop."

"Like where?"

Noctis smiled. "I think you know."

Lightning did know where he was talking about. She pondered for a second. "Fine."

Lightning gazed out to the endless fields the watchman's post was near. Noctis stared at her as she was lost him thought. With no one around, Noctis thought Lightning would be more comfortable speaking her mind. "So, Lightning, can you tell me now?" She was sitting on the stone window's base, her back leaning against one of the pillars supporting the roof. He rested against an adjacent pillar, praying she would talk to him.

She was quiet for a moment, contemplating what to say. "I'm just…" She trailed off. She needed some reassurance in order to keep talking. She wasn't sure if she trusted Noctis with her inner feelings.

Noctis had to inform her that she could talk to him; that he was here for her. "I know we haven't known each other long, but I do care for how you feel. I want to help you. And I can't do that if I don't know what's wrong. If you can trust me, I can really help you."

Bad with words, my ass, Lightning thought. But that did get her to speak. "I'm just homesick. I've been gone for a while. My wounds are healing slowly. How do I know my friends back home even care that I'm gone anymore?"

Noctis felt devastated for hearing that. After all, it was his idea to keep her here. Now she wasn't happy like she was a couple of weeks ago. "I'm sure they miss you. Just because you're gone now doesn't mean you're no longer important to them. If they really are your friends, then they will wait for you forever." Noctis paused, letting her soak that in. "I'm sorry."

Lightning looked at him. "What for?"

"I was the one who decided to keep you here. So it's my fault you're unhappy."

"Not necessarily. I feel like… I'm abandoning everyone back home." Lightning hated showing how weak she was.

"It's not like you're never going to see them again. Once you're healed, you can go home." Noctis' voice lost a little optimism at the end. He didn't want her to leave him. He liked waking up in the morning knowing he would get to see her. After she leaves, he wouldn't get to feel that way anymore. "But, you will come back… right?"

Lightning looked down. "I don't know. I don't even know if I can get back." Her voice shook. Lightning accidentally said aloud, "What if I can't get back to Serah?..."

Noctis furrowed his brow. "Serah?"

"…My sister. I know she, of all people, should be worried sick. After all, we're all we've had for years."

Noctis couldn't share her pain. He didn't have any siblings to miss. He didn't even have cousins. But his friends were like brothers to him. How would he feel if he lost one of them?

Noctis wanted to give her more advice, but he was cut off by his phone ringing. He was needed back at the castle. He was pissed that he barely got to talk to Lightning. She had just started to open up. "I've got to go. Will you be staying here?"

"No," She hopped off the window. "I'll be heading back."

Noctis' business had taken him all day. It was around noon when he tried helping Light, now it was about ten. He was exhausted and famished. He wanted nothing more than to rest. He had to pass Lightning's room before getting to his. He lingered at her door. He wanted to see her again. He needed to say something to her before he slept. He reached for the door knob, but hesitated. What if she was sleeping? It would look shady of him to enter at this time of night. He let his hand fall. He would have to wait until tomorrow.

That's when she yelled.

Noctis knew it was Lightning. He burst through the door. "Lightning!"

He found her sitting up in her bed, a traumatized look in her eyes. "Noctis, I… I didn't know you were coming."

She looked shocked, or even scared. He asked like he did so many times before, "Something wrong?"

Lightning laughed a little at that. He just had to ask that, didn't he? "Yeah, I just had a nightmare. I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" He made his way to the bed. He paused before sitting down beside her. "You're really startled." He could see her hands trembling. She didn't answer. "What did you dream about?"

Still nothing. She didn't want to share the dream she had. Her friends were accusing her of leaving them for her other companions. They all shouted at her angrily, even Serah. They claimed she had forgotten that she had fought with them years ago, that they were her real friends, as opposed to the guys she just met. It made her feel worse now that one of them was with her.

If she wouldn't talk, Noctis had to try and get her mind off of it. "You started to talk about your friends at home earlier today. What are they like?"

Why the sudden interest? "What do you mean?"

"Well, what are their names? How is their personality? Are they close to you?"

Lightning sat crisscrossed. "First, there's my sister, Serah. She's two years younger than me. She isn't really one to care for herself much. She likes to watch out for others. She's really good with kids. She even teaches a small class at home."

Lightning looked to see if she was boring him. He nodded for her to go on. "Then there's Snow. He's my idiot brother-in-law. He's arrogant, thinks he's the 'hero' and never listens to authority. He and I never got along much. But he is family now, so we put up with each other. He can be nice, especially around Serah. They both live with me.

"Sazh is another one. He's older than all of us. He has a son, Dajh. He, like Serah, likes kids. But he hates when kids get involved in adult manners. But he's funny and reliable. He may be the old man of the group, but he acts like he's still 'got it.'" Noctis was listening intently to every detail. He was finally getting to know her better.

"Hope is just a kid. He was fourteen when we met three years ago. Now he's seventeen. He lost his mother due to an accident just before I met him. He was really a wimp at first, but after getting to know him, I found out he really is a strong kid. He's smart, too. He's a natural with machines. But he isn't the best fighter. I've been his combat teacher for about a year now. He's progressing well.

"Vanille is actually older than me." Lightning wasn't lying. Vanille was chronologically older than her by about five hundred years. "She is a vivacious girl; always smiling and laughing. She's always the one to look on the bright side and keep everyone going when things are glum. But she does have some self doubts. Even so, she knows never to give up or run from tough challenges.

"Fang is… and odd one. She is a lot like Gladiolus. You know, not an idiot like Prompt, but also not serious like Ignis. She and Vanille grew up together, so she's really protective over her. I haven't known Fang long, but we are good friends. She's a lot like me: not very girly. Actually, she can knock a guy out with one punch if she's angry enough." Lightning chuckled at that. Fang did lose her temper sometimes. Normally when someone made fun of her accent.

"We all work together. We see each other almost every day. After what we've been through together, we've become really close."

Noctis asked, "What have you been through?"

Lightning couldn't tell him. Her life was a legend in his world. She would sound insane if she told him. She lied, "We fought in a battle against an unfair government. It wasn't easy and took a long time. But we defeated it." It wasn't a total lie, but not the truth either.

"It makes me happy to hear you have so many people to rely on. They'll be happy when you return."

"Yeah…" Lightning felt lonely again. Talking about her life made her miss it more. Noctis realized her sadness. Without thinking, he put his arm around her and pushed her head onto his shoulder. He clutched her arm as he held her. Lightning didn't say anything, but he felt her stiffen as he hugged her.

"I don't want you to be sad, Light. You say you may not be able to get home. So I'll just find a way for you to get back. I promise you I will get you back to your normal life." Noctis meant every word. He couldn't bear the thought of her leaving. But if the only way he could make her happy was to let her go, then so be it. He would find her a way himself.

Lightning felt uncomfortable in this position. He rubbed her arm as she lay on his shoulder. She had never been this close to a man before in her life. The only reason she let him hold her was because she liked being next to him. His scent was intoxicating. His touch felt warm to her skin. The sound of his breathing calmed her. Lightning put her arms around his torso, to Noctis' surprise. Although, it made him feel better about hugging her. He didn't want her to feel awkward by his actions.

The two sat in silence for a while, holding each other. It was late. Lightning let out a yawn, tired from all of her talking. Noctis soon let go of her. "Sorry, I got carried away."

Lightning stared into his eyes. "I didn't mind." They gawked at each other for a few moments. Noctis turned to a clock sitting on the nightstand next to Lightning's bed. "It's late. We should probably get some sleep."

"Yeah." Noctis gently nudged her back under her sheets. He pulled the covers over her shoulder for her.

He walked to the door. "Good night, Noctis." Lightning whispered so quietly that it was barely audible to Noctis' ears.

He opened the door. Just before leaving he said, "Sweet dreams, Light." He quietly shut the door.

Lightning and Noctis both had the same thought as they parted:

Am I… falling for this one?

Noctis took a quick shower before changing into his pajamas. He was getting ready to get to bed. He didn't think he would get much sleep. He was too preoccupied with thinking about Lightning. Her sweet smell, her silky pink hair, the gorgeous blue eyes. She conquered his thoughts while he wandered to his bed. One thing still haunted him: She resembled someone. But who?

Noctis bumped his leg into a nightstand next to his monstrous bed. A few things fell off of the top, including a small journal he kept. He hadn't written in a while. Might as well now. He wrote about Light, mostly. Once he finished, he couldn't believe how much of his heart he had poured out. It was all about how he liked her smile, her courage, her cunning, even her skill in battle. He really thought she was… different. Much more unique than any other person he had ever met before. Noctis needed to get some sleep. It was careless to write all of his thoughts where anyone could see them. He closed the book. But something fell from between a few pages.

Noctis picked it up. What he saw made his eyes pop. It was a family photo with him, his father, and… his mother.

This picture finally answered his question. Who did Lightning remind him of:

His dear mother.

They looked so much alike, Noctis felt stupid for not seeing it before. Their personalities were opposites, but they could have been mistaken for family.

But this was not good. Now whenever he would see Lightning, he would see his mother.

And that would bring all of the horrible memories rushing back.


	9. Chapter 9: Murderer

**Chapter 9 – Murderer**

Noctis was really pissing Lightning off. Just a few days ago he had gone out of his way to comfort her. He held her as if they were old friends. But now he had completely changed. Ever since the night they cuddled together, Noctis barely spoke to Lightning. He didn't come to see her as much. He often left whenever she would enter the room he was in. What the hell was wrong with him?

He played with her emotions; that was what Lightning concluded. Normally, Lightning wouldn't care about a situation like this one. She would have ignored it. But she liked being with him. And having him just cut off all contact with her was infuriating, especially because he was the only one who could answer most of her questions.

Lightning stomped down the corridors. She wasn't sure where she was going. She didn't care. She just wanted to think. As she marched, she heard someone calling her name. "Wait up, Light!" Gladiolus was jogging up to her. She stopped to let him catch up. "Where've you been? You haven't talked much today." Lightning continued walking once he reached her. He followed.

"I've been going where I want to go."

"I see that. But you are obviously really pissed off."

"No, I'm not."

"I'm pretty sure you are."

Now he was pissing her off. She stopped to kick his shin. "Ow! Damn it!" The scarred man yelled, hopping on one foot while holding his leg. Lightning left him behind. He didn't find it worthwhile to go after her. He didn't want her to hurt him again either.

Lightning continued to wander. She couldn't quit thinking about how angry she was a Noctis. She heard another voice shouting for her. "Yo! Lightning!" She turned and saw a blonde Prompto coming out of a room she passed. "What's up?"

She neglected him and kept walking. "Hold up! What's the rush?" He ran up to her and blocked her path. Every time she tried to get past him he would step in front of her again. "Whoa, whoa! Everything alright?"

Lightning had had enough of his stupid friends interrupting her. "Why don't you go ask your dumbass friend?" She growled. Prompto let her get away that time. He was shocked by her question. Did she mean Noctis? What did he do?

Lightning wanted to find somewhere quiet: a place where she couldn't be disturbed. She headed for the library. But Lighting was wrong when she assumed no one would bug her there. Just before she opened the doors, Ignis exited the library. He looked up from a few books he held. "Oh, Lightning. Good afternoon."

Lightning nodded. She had more respect for Ignis than the other guys. He was intellectual, calm, and not a total idiot. "You okay?" He asked.

Not him, too. Ignis wasn't one to meddle in others' business like the Prompto or Gladiolus. "I'm fine."

Ignis didn't seem convinced. Even so, he said, "Alright then." He walked off. Lightning was glad a least one of them would leave her be.

Lightning entered the library. She was relieved to be in a safe, peaceful haven away from the other guys. They didn't come here often, besides Ignis, who stepped in every once in a while. Lightning headed for one of the couches on the far end of the room. Her advance was ruined by a figure bumping into her while coming out of an aisle created by two bookcases. Of course, it had to be Noctis.

He stared blankly at her for a few moments before apologizing. Lightning didn't say anything. She turned and left.

Noctis was torn. His feelings were conflicted. And now Lightning hated him again. Although, Noctis knew he would act the same way if it were him in her position. With the way things played out, it appeared as if he lead her on just to crush her later.

He intended no such thing. He cherished those moments when he held her a few nights ago. But now that he realized who she looked just like, he couldn't look at her without having a flashback: the blood, the cries of fear from around him, one of the guards covering his eyes, telling him not to look. Those memories scarred his heart. It pained him to relive those memories whenever he saw Lightning.

But he couldn't bear staying away from her. Every time she came near him, he tried to force the memories away, but it wasn't easy. He would end up leaving before coming into contact with her. He was a coward. He knew he shouldn't let his mind get the better of him. She was not his mother; therefore, she wasn't to be treated as if she was. Noctis had always feared that his mother would never forgive him for what happened.

He had to find her. She just turned away from him without a word. That hurt too much. He burst out of the library. He saw her walking down the corridor, her hips swaying as they usually did when she moved. "Lightning!" He begged. She ignored him. He dashed up to her and seized her shoulder. She threw his hand off before slapping him. It wasn't as hard as the others she gave him, but it still sent him stumbling back.

"Don't touch me!" She ordered.

"I just want to talk." Noctis answered, holding his stinging cheek.

"So now you do? Yeah, right." She countered.

Noctis knew she was too angry to speak with him. "Just let me explain."

"Okay, out with it!" She commanded, crossing her arms.

He looked her dead in the eyes, "You remind me of someone. I realized it a few days ago."

She gave him an unsatisfied look, "And?"

He let his hand fall from his face. He didn't want to continue. "I… did something terrible to that person."

"How does that give you a right to ignore me?" She snarled.

Noctis looked away. He hated talking about what had happened all those years ago.

Lightning uncrossed her arms. "Right." She started to leave. Noctis didn't follow this time.

After Lightning turned down another hallway, she leaned against a wall, waiting for Noctis' footsteps to completely fade. He stood there for a little bit, but soon left. She didn't get his reasoning. It made no sense. She was upset. She was ready to pound Noctis to a pulp.

But most of all…

She was hurt.

He acted as her friend. Sometimes Lightning thought he wanted to be more than friends. But he didn't care now. He built her up just to tear her down.

She went away from the wall to go find Wen.

Lightning found Wen around the part of the castle reserved for the servants. She located the door that lead to wen's room. Lightning wasn't sure if she would be there. But it was worth a shot. Lightning hesitantly knocked. After a few moments, the door opened. Lucky for Lightning it was Wen instead of one of her roommates.

"What a surprise, Lightning! Come in!" She greeted. Lightning had been in her room a couple of times. She was fairly familiar with it. Three beds were parallel to each other in the thirty by twenty foot room, near a few dressers and a closet. A couple of nightstands were near two of the beds with a lamp on each one. Even the maids' room was elegant, but not nearly as extravagant as the rest of the rooms. Wen gestured for Lightning to take a seat on her bed next to her.

"So, what brings you here?"

Lightning didn't really know why she came to Wen. Maybe she wanted advice. "Wen, can I ask you a personal question?"

"Like what?"

Lightning paused. "If someone mistreated you, but had a reason, would you forgive them?"

Wen thought for a moment. "It depends on the reason."

"What if they resented you because they feel guilty for what they have done?" Lightning didn't understand Noctis' reason until now. Sometimes she would feel guilty when she saw Serah with Snow because of the time she rejected their engagement. It was the same with Noctis.

"Our emotions are funny things. They aren't always easy to comprehend," Wen knew who she was talking about. Wen was aware about what happened with Noctis and his mother. Now that Wen thought about it, Lightning did look like the late queen. "So if this said person neglected you because you make them recall harsh times, you would need to let them know that what's done is done. There is no way to fix the past, no matter how devastating it was." Wen shook her head at that sentence. "As for forgiving them, I probably would. Life can be unfair, and I'm sure none of us like to remember the hardest times of our lives."

Lightning felt the same. The conclusion seemed to be the most practical. But Lightning didn't want to forgive him without a proper apology. She wouldn't soil her pride for his attitude.

"It looks like you're right, Wen."

Wen smiled. "I'm happy to help."

A maid knocked tapped Wen's door before entering, "Wen, there was a spill in the kitchen. Could you come help us clean it up?" Duty calls. Wen had to help many maids, on top of her own duties, on a regular basis. After all, she was the head maid.

Wen stood. "Yes, of course. I'll be right there." She turned to Lightning, who had risen as well. "I must be going. Did I help you at all?"

Lightning gave her friend a small smile. "You did. Actually, a lot. Thanks, Wen." Wen and Lightning parted ways. Lightning knew she could forgive Noctis now. But only if he apologized first.

He wanted to apologize, he really did. But it hurt to see her. He couldn't find her anyway. He guessed she was with his head maid, Wen, since they had become fast friends. Noctis didn't know her very well, but he was sure she was kind, loyal, and enjoyed meeting new people.

Noctis sat at his throne, his arm was lazily propped up on the throne while his head rested on his hand. He didn't bother listening to one of his council member's complaints. He was too preoccupied thinking about Lightning. He had to be with her again. He needed to hear her voice without her hatred for him in it.

The council member finished speaking. "I understand," Noctis lied, "I will take care of it when the time is available." Noctis hated speaking so formally. But he had to in the presence of his subjects. After the noble exited the throne room, his father came in.

"How has your day been going so far, Noctis?"

"Just swell." Noctis answered, angst in his tone.

"It doesn't sound so swell." He felt concerned for his only son. "Is everything all right?"

Noctis wasn't one to talk about his feelings. Anyone close to him knew that. But his father may have been one of the few people who could assist Noctis in this situation.

"It's complicated."

"How so?"

Noctis didn't answer.

"You can trust me, Noctis," The king reassured. "I won't sell your stories to the press, or ruin your image like a nosy reporter would. I'm here to help. Not because I need to be sure you're ready to take the throne someday, but because you are my son." Solis smiled at Noctis. Those words made Noctis appreciate his father more than he already did. They had a few rough spots after his mother's death, but he was so wise, ready to lift Noctis back to his feet when he was down. "So, what's wrong?"

"It's Lightning."

The king had noticed that Noctis wasn't spending his spare time with her anymore. "What about her?"

"You have realized she looks identical to…"

Solis nodded. "I saw it the first time I laid eyes on her. But what does that have to do with your bad mood?"

Noctis' voice began to sound depressed. "I saw it a few days ago. And ever since then, whenever I see her, I remember when I…" Noctis couldn't finish.

"I can see how you feel that way, Noctis. But what happened wasn't your fault. You shouldn't feel this way anymore. You mother would want you to forgive yourself and move on." He clarified. "As for seeing her in Lightning, you have to let go of those memories; see who she is, not what happened years ago." Solis' teased, "Besides, you're a lot happier when you're with her."

Noctis knew he was, too. There was something about Lightning that made him glad to be alive. "I know you're right. How will I apologize for resenting her?"

Solis wasn't sure if Noctis was up for his suggestion. "Tell her the truth?"

Noctis looked down in shame. He didn't want to talk about the experience he had in his childhood years. But there was no other way.

He had to tell Lightning about the horrible thing he had done.

Solis allowed Noctis to have the rest of the day off. He immediately went to his chambers. He spent his time pacing, thinking, acting out what he would say to Lightning. He couldn't select the right words.

"What will I do? How will I tell her?" Noctis mumbled. Not only would he reveal the most devastating moment in his life, but now he had to show his true powers to Lightning. Then she would see the monster he kept hidden within him. Noctis sighed, "Damn it." He couldn't do this. But he had to.

Noctis awoke with a loud knock. He hadn't noticed he had dozed off when he sat down on his bed. He never worked up the courage to go, so he tried to relax. Apparently he relaxed a little too much. The moon was already up and the sky was darkened. Some stars shined, but due to the city's bright lights, some could not be seen.

He wasn't expecting to see Lightning outside his door when he answered it. Noctis stared for a moment. He finally uttered, "L-Lightning."

She stuck out her arm to shove a file folder at him. "From your father," She said with a bitter voice. Noctis thought his father sent her in order to make sure Noctis talked to her. It was a good decision, seeing as to how Noctis hadn't even left his room yet.

Noctis took the papers from her. "Oh, um… thank you."

Lightning began to turn to go back to her room. Now was his chance!

"No! Wait!" He panicked. He grabbed her wrist. She stopped moving and held still, not looking at him. "What?" She asked, acid in her tone.

"I… I need to talk to you.

Lightning didn't budge.

"Please?"

Lightning looked at him. "Why?"

"I want to… explain."

Lightning was skeptical. "Fine. Start talking."

"It's… private." Lightning gave Noctis a confused look. "Come in. I'll tell you in here." Noctis released her wrist. He moved aside so Lightning could get by. Noctis quickly closed the door once she was in.

Lightning didn't feel comfortable in his room alone with him. She did have strange feelings for him, but that didn't mean she didn't think he wouldn't try anything. "Okay, start."

Noctis walked over to his massive window. The full moon lightly illuminated the black room. "Well?" Lightning questioned impatiently.

Still, no answer. Lightning had had enough. "What the hell is wrong with you?" She yelled. Noctis flinched at her voice, but didn't avert his gaze from the stars. "You keep toying with me! Why are you doing that? Do you enjoy hurting people?"

Suddenly, many blades, spears, lances, guns, knives, and several other weapons surrounded her. She spotted a few of his fonchiers, one of the blades he fought her with earlier. So that's why he never carried a weapon. He could… summon them?

Noctis still didn't move. "What is this?" Lightning asked. "What are you –"

"It's my crystal powers," He said. "The crystal grants me with numerous powers. Summoning weapons and using telekinesis to use them is one of them. But it isn't easy to control." Noctis' voice was sounding dismal. As if all the emotions were sucked from him. "That is why I can't use my powers around my friends, like I didn't when I sparred with you. When I start to lose control, my eyes turn red."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"You look exactly like my mother, minus the hair color."

"So how does that make you avoid me?"

"I said I did something terrible to her… So when I see you, I remember everything."

Lightning though she may regret it, but asked, "W-what did you do?"

Noctis paused.

"I killed my own mother."


	10. Chapter 10: Redemption

**Chapter 10 – Redemption**

"I'm going to be gone late today. I have to teach my students then go help out Fang." Serah informed.

"Okay, that's cool. I'll watch the house." Snow responded.

Serah looked skeptical. "You sure you'll be okay here by yourself?"

Snow put on an arrogant look. "I'm a big boy. I'll be fine."

Snow was really bored. It was getting late and Serah still hadn't come back. Lightning's condo felt empty without its owner in it. Light took care of the cooking, cleaning, and paying the bills, but now Serah did most of that stuff. Snow was now left alone to do some of those things. He was feeling hungry.

Snow went to the kitchen and looked around the pantry and fridge. He didn't really know how to cook. How would he do it now? He found some pasta. Better than nothing, he thought. Now, where to start? Where do we keep the pots?

Snow rummaged through some cabinets until he found one that was big enough to hold the pasta. Okay, now what? Do you put it in the pot?

He opened the box of uncooked noodles and poured them into the metal pot. Do I cook it now? Or does something go with it? Snow placed the pot of raw noodles on the stove. He wasn't sure how to work this either. After pushing a few buttons, he heard a beep. He assumed that meant the burner was on.

So I just wait? Snow sat on the counter and looked around the kitchen. He saw a few dishes in the sink. That reminds me, I still have to replace those dishes I broke…

After fifteen minutes of listening to his wandering thoughts, Snow smelled something burning. He leaped off the counter, rushed to the oven, then peered down at the pot to see blackening pasta. He quickly pulled the pot off the stove, the silver handle singing his gloved hand. He dropped the pot with a yelp. The flaming hot metal landed on his foot, sending dark pasta everywhere. Snow held his foot, screaming, "Ouch! Dammit!"

Snow sighed and looked at his mess. He removed his glove to examine his hand. It was red, beginning to form a blister. That wouldn't be fun to deal with when he fought.

Geez, he made a huge mess. How could he have been stupid enough to just cook the damn things!

Snow never felt so stupid. Not for the dirty kitchen, but for taking Lightning for granted. She did so much for him and Serah. She gave them a place to stay while they had nowhere else to else to go, even for free. She cleaned up any of their messes, no matter who made it. She cooked every meal they ate. She did all of this out of the selflessness in her heart. Light had always helped them. Snow never realized how much she did for him until now; when she wasn't here anymore. She may not even return at all.

One of the phones rang. Snow picked it up with his unharmed hand. "Hello?"

"Hi, Snowy!" Serah cooed. "Everything alright at home?"

Snow looked at the now unclean kitchen, thanks to his foolishness. "Uhh… Sort of. Hey, Serah?"

"Yeah?"

"Cooking is really hard."

"Did you make a mess?"

"Yeah, but don't worry, I'll – wait, is the stove still on?"

"Okay, you guys take Taejin's Tower. You all get the Sulyya Springs." Fang issued commands to her men often, but these weren't normal orders. They had to search for Lightning, or as Fang's operatives knew her, Captain Farron.

"Hey, Fang!" Sazh called. "Serah said she's done teaching her classes. She'll be here soon."

Fang still didn't get why Serah was a teacher. Sure, she loved kids and it was nice to have the younger generation receive a good education. But juggling that with the P.L.R. business must not have been easy. What a career combination, too: Teacher and combat specialist. Well, Serah wasn't really a specialist quite yet. She was good with a bow and arrow, but other than that, her combat skills had room for improvement. "Right."

Sazh watched the soldiers as they prepared to move out. He knew Fang would give them an earful if they didn't find any clues as to Lightning's whereabouts again. "Say, Fang," Sazh asked, "do you think Light's okay?"

What kind of a question was that? Of course she was okay! She was Lightning Farron: The only one among their whole group that was a trained professional in combat. She was rational enough to survive on her own. She could take care of herself. She traveled swiftly and carefully, easily beating any enemy that came her way. Lightning would be fine! Hell, she may be on her way home right now!

Or, at least, that's what Fang wanted to say.

There was no way to tell if Lightning was near home or not. They weren't even sure whether she was alive at all. She was M.I.A., possibly lost without food or shelter, and maybe even dying at the moment. She had been gone for weeks! All because Fang couldn't go check out the strange portal herself.

"She better be." Was all Fang could say back.

"You're really worried, aren't you?"

"You shut your trap!" Fang snapped.

Sazh put up his hands in defense. "I didn't mean that in a bad way. We know how you're feeling. But thinking like that won't bring her back. The best we can do for Light is finding out where she is and bring her home."

"Yeah, you're right. But I can't shake the feeling that she may be in a place of danger. You know, like she could get hurt really soon."

"Just relax. You'll lose less sanity that way."

Fang chuckled, "Please! Too late for that! I've lived without my sanity for years now!"

The two laughed. Fang turned serious. "Do you really think she's safe?"

"Of course! You know what? I bet you two hundred gil she is in a nice, safe, comfortable place right now, where no enemy could get to her."

Lightning's eyes widened. His swords still circled her, keeping her from moving. "You… You did what?"

Noctis was silent. The blades receded away from Lightning. With a flick of his wrist, all the weapons vanished into thin air.

"Why would you…" Lightning trailed off. She had lost her parents when she was young. With no relatives to go with, she and Serah lived on the streets until she earned enough money for them to live somewhere. Still, they struggled to live then. Their budget was way too tight to do anything but get food and pay for their home. They never had any money. Not until Lighting was old enough to become a soldier and earn a higher pay. But this prince, who could get anything he wanted by snapping his fingers, killed his mother?

"It's not what you're probably thinking." His voice was emotionless, lifeless. It was as if he had to keep himself from falling apart from the inside out. "It… It was an accident. I- I loved my mother. We were very close. I would…I would never have killed her on purpose. She… She was the most important person to me then. After all, I was still a little kid."

Lightning wasn't sure if she wanted to hear this story. She knew it wouldn't be a pleasant fairy tale. This was a story of a death in cold blood; one that was done by a young boy with too much power.

"I was ten," Noctis began. "My powers were starting to become stronger. I practiced using them in the training center every day back then. I was making fast progress. Neither my father nor his father had gotten so powerful at my age. Both of my parents were proud that I could do so much with the crystal's power. Even then, I was one of the most powerful beings in the kingdom. Maybe even in the world." Noctis paused, letting Lightning soak in all he had said. "I was very skilled at using my weapons. My mother, no matter what she was doing, would always be there to encourage me. Until… one day… I lost control.

"My father and my mother were both watching me. They were always amazed by what I could do. I performed several tricks and maneuvers while using my blades. Sometimes they even applauded my work. Everything I did with my power was advanced for my age. I used to get tired after I trained for a little while. My mother would… always come over to me, take my hand, and escort me back inside to rest. But on that day, she came too close, too soon."

Lightning didn't want to hear more. She was scared. She beat him by using her skills out on the training field, but with his powers, she was sure he could have killed her in seconds. He could have as a small child. That was… outrageous. Lightning could never understand how hard that must be to compress your powers every waking minute of the day. How did he do it? Was it because of what happened in the story he was telling?

He kept speaking. "She came closer to me so she could take me in. But… something went wrong. I must have pushed myself too hard, tried a move that was too much for me, something that caused me to… snap. My eyes burned red, I could feel it. My head pounded in pain. The blades I showed you moved on their own, almost as if they were controlled by another force.

"When I lose control, my powers go into defense mode. The blades attack anything that is too close to me. They form barriers around me so I can regain control without being harmed. But it didn't do any good then. The swords headed straight for my mother. She had gotten too close when she came to get me. I tried to stop them from moving towards her, but I was… too weak." Noctis' voice shook. His fists were clenched so hard that his arms were trembling.

" I… I heard a shriek. I got some control back then. I tried to find where the scream came from, desperate to see who I may have hurt. One of the guards nearby covered my eyes though. He shouted, 'Don't look!' But I ripped his hand from my face."

Lightning's face twisted in horror. He… he saw her after he had…

"When I looked for my mother… All I saw was pools of blood. Everyone around was scared of me. They looked at me like…I was a monster.

"I killed her instantly. My father made up stories about her getting sick so the public wouldn't panic. My father resented me for a few years after that. I killed his beloved wife. But soon he forgave me. But… but I haven't been able to forgive myself.

"That's why I couldn't see you. I… felt guilty all over again.

"That's why I said that, back at the watchman's post. I've been treated like a god for my royal blood. But… inside, I'm truly… nothing but a worthless, disgusting, terrifying abomination."

Lightning didn't witness her parents' deaths. She was glad she didn't. But… he was so young then. He murdered someone at that age, and then has to live with the guilt forever. Lightning couldn't even imagine the pain he was in. She felt angry at herself for causing him so much agony. She forced him to feel guiltier than he did before, just because Lightning was too worried about her pride to consider his feelings.

Noctis broke the short silence. "Lightning, I…" His voice was hoarse. Lightning never saw Noctis this traumatized. He usually tried to act cool. He joked around with her a lot. He tried to pass off for a strong, kind man. From Lightning's view right now, he was actually fragile, ready to break inside. Life hadn't treated Lightning well, but Noctis' life was no better.

Noctis finally continued, "I'm so sorry. You're a different person. I shouldn't treat you like you were my mother. I've always feared she would be angry for me… killing her." Noctis choked at the word 'killing.' "You deserve to be treated the same as before; when we were like close friends. I had no right to hurt you. I will keep my promise to get you home. I… enjoyed hugging you that night. Most of all, I'm deeply sorry… for putting you through so much pain."

Lightning was speechless. He told her about his darkest moment. But now he was sorry for her? He was in more pain than she was. She should be apologizing to him for overreacting. He may have looked weak to many people right now. Although, Lightning believed it took real courage and strength to talk about this, especially to someone he just met a little while ago.

Lightning knew it would be out of character, but she had to comfort him. It was the only way she could repay him for sharing all of his feelings. She couldn't stop herself from walking up to him. His back was still towards her. She wrapped her arms around his waist, to Noctis' surprise. She leaned her head against his back, listening to his breathing. Noctis gradually relaxed. Once he was calmed, Lightning let go of him. She took his shoulder so she could make him turn to face her. He looked down at her with his beautiful, deep, midnight blue eyes. "Noctis, I can relate to some of your feelings. But what's done is done. Your mother was obviously fond of you, meaning she wouldn't want you to feel this bad. She would want you to forgive yourself. I do…"

Noctis gawked at her for a moment. This was so unlike her. This was the soft side of Lightning he had never seen. He couldn't believe she understood. She even accepted his apology! He felt himself breaking apart from the inside. He needed her. She was all he wanted right now. He wanted her and her alone.

Noctis flung his arms around Lightning. He hugged her, holding her tightly, clutching her back. He knew he may have made it hard for her to breathe, but he needed this. His spirits were slightly lifted when she returned his hug. She was there for him, supporting him.

Lightning hadn't known Noctis long. He was still practically a stranger to her. Despite that, she had no problem with holding him in her arms. She even liked having him so close. She lead his head to her shoulder, letting him rest there while she let him regain his strength. His spikey black hair tickled her face. His smell filled her nostrils. Lightning noticed something then: I… I like being with him. I like having him by my side. I… need him.

Noctis couldn't release Lightning. He felt that nothing in the world could touch them while they were like this. Her sweet scent intoxicated him. He rubbed his cheek against her angelic pink hair. He felt her soft, pale skin. Her touch enchanted him. He didn't care that he barely knew her. He was sure of his feelings. And he embraced those emotions.

Noctis saddened when he felt her pull away. He did the same. He realized how much weakness he showed. He was ashamed to act so frail in front of her. He wanted her to think of him as strong or courageous, not weak and sorrowful. "Sorry," he muttered.

That earned him a slug to the face. Noctis stumbled back before catching his balance. "What was that for?" She totally ruined the moment!

"Because you have to snap out of it!" She yelled back. Noctis' furrowed his brow. She explained, "Quit wallowing in your self-doubt! You want to be strong? Move on! Fight for tomorrow! Yesterday can't help you, so make the future brighter than the past!" Lightning had to tell herself these words when she was a L'Cie. If she had her will to fight for another day, she could live on.

Her words spoke to Noctis. She felt so strongly that he thought she was speaking from experience. She probably was, since she fought the government and all. Noctis ignored his once again stinging face. He looked her straight in the eyes. "Thank you, Lightning. I…" Lightning gave him the same emotionless expression she usually had on. He wasn't sure if he should finish that thought. Not yet, at least.

"You…?" Lightning ushered.

"I'm glad I met you." It wasn't what he intended to say earlier, but it wasn't a lie either.

Lightning could feel her face flush. "Uh… Thanks, Noctis… I…" Lightning didn't say this not only return the kindness, but to express her feelings as well. "I'm glad I met you, too."

And there they went again: Just staring at each other, unaware of anything else in the world. Noctis was the first to break the trance this time. "So… yeah. I guess… this pretty much… worked out alright?"

"Looks like it." She bluntly said.

Noctis started to see reality now. I was late at night. He and Lightning were alone… in his bedroom… with little chance of interruption. His face burned at the thought of what could happen. "So…" he said, desperately trying to keep his mind out of the gutter. "What now?"

"Not sure…I'll just see you tomorrow." She started for the door.

"Wait." Noctis asked. He didn't have to grab her now. "We have a little… catching up to do." 'That sounded seductive!' "Uh! I mean… um…"

Lightning rolled her eyes. "Relax. I get what you mean."

Noctis smiled.

He invited her to sit on one of the chairs he had around. The two talked about what they did the past few days, hobbies, sometimes even nothing in particular. Lightning was happy to have him talking again. She missed his voice. She wanted to know more about him, just as he wanted to know everything about her. It was probably midnight when they started to run out of things to talk about.

Lightning let out a yawn. Noctis knew she should probably get some sleep, but he didn't want her to leave. He got an idea. "Hey, I'll be right back. I have to get something."

Lightning nodded. He got up and went to his closet. Now… where was it? He had it somewhere in here…There it is!

He grabbed a wad of cloth from one of his large closet's shelves. He hastily rushed out to give it to Lightning. It was a blanket he had had for a long time, maybe ten years? He thought she may be cold. Once he reached Lightning, he said, "I'm back."

She didn't answer. She didn't even move. Puzzled, Noctis looked down at her face. He grinned as he saw that she was asleep. He was gone for a few minutes, but she lazily sat in his chair, breathing softly. She was so peaceful; even cute. He just couldn't bring himself to wake her up and take her back to her room. Carefully, he hoisted her up, bridal style. He took her over to his bed and laid her onto his soft sheets. He stepped back to get a better look at her. She rolled over onto her side. Noctis giggled.

He thought this may have been a bad idea, but it wouldn't hurt to do it for just a minute. He laid down next to her, taking her head to let it sit on his shoulder as he lie on his back. She buried her head into the space between his neck and shoulder. He held one of her hands while he grasped her waist. He stared at her for so long that he could have sworn he had memorized her features.

He soon found himself dozing off before falling asleep.

Lightning ran. She dashed away from shadows chasing her. She had no idea where she was. She couldn't see anything. She looked for some light, any soul. But nothing. All of a sudden, time froze. The shadows disappeared. She was standing on Pulse, in New Bodhum. "Hey!"

She turned around to see who called her. It was Serah. What? She was just with Noctis. Was… was all that a dream? No, I couldn't be. Serah started running to her. Vanille appeared behind her, followed by Fang, Hope, Snow, and Sazh. "Hey, Sis, don't you think we should be getting home?"

Lightning looked at all of her friends. "Wait… where are we?"

Fang gave her a sarcastic look. "We're in Palumpolum. Where do you think?"

Snow crossed his arms. "Man, what's wrong with you?"

Lightning was dumbstruck. What was going on? Another voice called her, "Lightning!"

Her and her companions turned their heads. Gladiolus was waving to her. Prompto and Ignis were next to him. Noctis gave her a shy wave as well. Sazh furrowed his brow. "Whoa, who're they?"

Noctis and his friends approached them. Prompto asked, "Yo, Light, what'cha doing out here? We should go hang out at the castle."

Vanille questioned, "Wait, Lightning, you're staying with us, right?"

Hope added, "Yeah, we're your friends."

Gladiolus looked to her. "But you're coming back with us, aren't you?"

Ignis pushed up his glasses. "We were just becoming friends."

Noctis gave her a sad look. "Are you leaving?"

All her friends stared at her. She cared for all of them. But she couldn't be in two places at once. After she healed, where would she stay? She belonged with her close friends. Although, she didn't want to be away from her new ones, not to mention Noctis. 'I have to choose?'

'But… how?'

Lightning's eyes snapped open with a gasp. 'It… it was a dream,' she thought. But the message was real; where would she go after healing? Would she go back with her friends and family, or stay with a man she couldn't bear to be away from too long?

'Wait…' she hadn't realized she fell asleep. 'Where am I?'

"Did you sleep well?" Lightning saw it now: She was… with Noctis?

Lightning yelped and sat up, pushing him away, making her wounds sting a little. She nervously watched him sit up. Her surprise quickly turned to anger. "W-What were you doing?"

Noctis knew it was a bad idea. "I swear I didn't mean anything!" He held up his hands in case she tried to hit him. "You just fell asleep and I…"

Lightning hated when he stopped like that. "You what?"

Noctis blushed. "I didn't want to wake you up. You were so… adorable."

Lightning blushed back. She fell asleep? Most of all, he thought she was adorable?

Noctis felt guilty for making such a bold move. "I just wanted to make you more comfortable."

Lightning stared down at her hands. She was so embarrassed. The strangest part… she liked lying with him. It felt so safe and warm. But she couldn't do that. She had to keep her distance. He was getting too close to her. It was then she noticed the sun had already risen and the morning had arrived. She was with him all night?

Noctis directed his attention to the grandfather clock in the corner of his room. 9:30, time for work. He was even late. "I know this sounds rude, but I need to be getting to a meeting. Do you want me to take you to the dining hall for breakfast?"

She actually did. But never would she admit it. "I'm fine." She stood from the bed and straightened her clothes. She was still in her usual skirt and white shirt with the cape, she even had her boots on. Noctis got up as well, dressed in yesterday's clothes like her. She asked, "Are you coming, too?"

He yawned, "No, I'm late as it is. I've got to get ready to go."

He escorted Lightning out of his room. He was sad to see her leave. If he didn't have duties to attend to, he would certainly have stayed with her longer. They said goodbye before turning their backs to each other and walking away. Noctis didn't want it to end there. He turned and yelled, "Wait a sec."

She looked back. Noctis walked back up to her so no one could hear him. "Will you meet me at the watchman's post at noon?"

Lightning was starting to get used to his clingy behavior. She liked his idea anyway. She agreed, "Fine. I'll see you there then."

Noctis let her go. He couldn't wait until noon. All through his meeting, he couldn't keep her off of his mind. He never wiped the smile from his face during their conferences.

Lightning walked Snow across the fields. Instead of leaving her tied to a tree, Lightning brought Snow over to the watchman's post with her. They didn't go inside; Lightning just leaned against one of the pillars supporting the post's roof. She scratched the white chocobo as it ate some gyshal greens from the ground.

Lightning couldn't keep her mind off of her dream. It had a valid point. The decision she faced wasn't a simple one. Lightning knew she had to get back to Serah. She needed to help the P.L.R. as well. But she liked staying with Noctis. She couldn't leave him. At least, not for good. She had a flashback to the time Wen told her that she could come back to them after going home.

'Yeah, right,' Lightning thought. 'I can't even get home, let alone come here again.'

Lightning sighed. She sat down on the warm grass. Snow set her beady eyes to her, then nuzzled Lightning's neck with her sharp beak. It was as if the chocobo could sense her distress. Looks like Lightning had more friends here than she thought.

Lightning felt a presence nearby. Without looking, she caught something that was thrown at her. It was an apple with deep red skin. She turned to see who had tossed the projectile to her. Noctis stood in the direction the fruit came from. He nodded to her, holding Cinis' reins in one hand and another apple in the other.

Lightning stood up. "You're late."

Noctis smirked. "No, you're early." He let go of Cinis so he could join Snow. Noctis approached Lightning.

"What's this for?" Lightning showed him the apple.

"To eat. What else?" Noctis leaned on the pillar next to Lightning. "I wasn't sure if you ate before you left, so I brought a little snack."

Lightning thought that was rather considerate of him. "Thanks." She was about to take a bite, but Cinis snatched from her hand and quickly gobbled it up. "Hey!" Lightning yelled.

"Cinis!" Noctis added. The black chocobo kweed in delight like it was laughing. Noctis offered his apple. Lightning would have refused if it weren't for Snow stealing Noctis' apple as well. "Damn birds!" he cursed. Lightning smiled lightly.

"Sorry," he glared over at the chocobos. "I should have brought roast duck!" The giant birds chirped in fear with a mortified look in their eyes. Lightning and Noctis chuckled at them. Noctis stared at Lightning as she gazed out to the fields. He couldn't help it, she was just so beautiful, clever, kind – when she wanted to be – passionate, and so many more things he couldn't describe. There was one thing that was off: She seemed sad. "Something wrong?"

Lightning missed hearing him ask that. It bemused Lightning how he always knew when she was upset. "No, nothing at all." She didn't want to talk about it.

Noctis tilted his head. "You sure?" He was positive she was holding something back.

Lightning answered in a slightly more irritated tone, "Yes, I am sure."

So, she wasn't going to budge this time, huh? Noctis wanted to know why she was distracted, although, he had a feeling he should let it go.

"Noctis?" Lightning mumbled.

"Hm?" He hummed back.

"Would you be mad… if I left here to go home?"

Noctis was dumbfounded by her question. "Why would I be? I know if I was in your shoes I would want to go back." She looked down. "Why do you ask?"

She didn't answer. He had to get her to speak. He moved so he could face her. He absentmindedly took her hands. "Lightning, I know you want to go home. I can understand how you feel like you don't belong. But I need you to know that it doesn't matter where you go in your life…" He was talking too much. Why did he trust her with his emotions? He wouldn't talk about them with anybody, but she was different. "…I'll stand by you all the way. I couldn't ask for anything more than for your happiness."

Lightning was frozen. He cared that much about her feelings? Did he really mean that? She looked up him. She could see in his eyes that he didn't want her to leave. Even so, he was still willing to let her go someday. He was so sweet and sincere. He was caring and funny. He was delicate. He was mysterious. He was handsome. He was… someone Lightning never would have thought she would feel this way for.

He leaned in closer to her. Lightning lifted her chin so her face was nearer to his. They slowly got closer, and closer, until they could feel their breaths blowing past them. Their lips were millimeters apart.

It was all ruined by a mechanical ring.

Noctis pulled back, deeply disappointed. They were so close! If he was just a simple man, not a lavish prince, maybe they would have met. Lightning let her chin fall back to its original position. She too was disheartened by the interruption.

Noctis pulled out a phone from his pocket. After a short "hello," alarm filled his expression. "What!... Just keep them safe, I'll be there as soon as possible!"

Lightning was preparing for action. "What's wrong?"

He swiftly grabbed Cinis and jumped onto him. "Monsters are loose at the castle!"


	11. Chapter 11: Identity Revealed

**Chapter 11 – Identity Revealed**

Warning: There is some gore in this chapter.

Lightning and Noctis rushed to the castle. They forced their chocobos to run as fast as possible. Once the great palace came into view, they could see it: Wyverns hovering over the high roofs, behemoths slashing at soldiers, monstrous wolf-like beasts tearing up the gardens. Everything was in turmoil. Lightning pulled out her saber and shot a few dog-like monsters coming their way. Noctis leaped off of Cinis, Lightning close by.

Lightning had never seen Noctis use his powers in battle. He was much more powerful than she anticipated. She could tell he was still holding back, too. He had a fonchier in one hand and rarely summoned more weapons; at least, he didn't around his friends. He couldn't live with himself if he lost control again.

Lightning noticed something peculiar: Whenever Noctis used his power, the former place of her brand burned. It was the same as when they met. He used some of his crystal power to try and heal her. Now he used it to fight, but this time the sensation wasn't as painful. It still ached, but not to the point where she would faint like last time. The more he used it, the less it burned. It made her wonder, 'With time, could this pain from his power stop?'

Amongst the monsters were some armored soldiers attacking servants, nobles, and Noctis' knights. Noctis burst into the castle, searching for his father or friends. Lightning prayed Wen was alright.

A loud bang sounded behind them. They turned around, swords ready. A few opposing enemies fell to the ground, followed by a cloud of thick blood. Prompto stepped forward, shotgun loaded.

"Prompt!" Lightning shouted.

The blonde looked over to them. "Noct! Light!" They met each other in the middle of the corridor.

"What's going on?" Lightning asked, her voice alert.

"Monsters are invading the castle!"

Noctis gave him an annoyed look. "Thank you captain obvious! Can you give me a more descriptive answer, Sherlock?"

Prompto shook his head. "Think about it, man. The soldiers' uniforms aren't like the ones you command. And these monsters: don't they look like ones native to…"

Noctis finished the sentence with him, "Niflheim."

Prompto suddenly raised his gun. He pointed it to the other side of the hallway, past Noctis and Lightning. He shot a soldier one hundred feet away in between the eyes. Lightning was impressed by his skilled gunmanship. 'Guess he doesn't just carry that around for show. He's really a sharpshooter!'

Gladiolus and Ignis stepped into view. Gladiolus carried a large sword. Ignis had deadly throwing knives in between each of his fingers. They ran up to join them. "Ig," Noctis said, "you don't think…"

Ignis nodded. "Yes, it appears that Niflheim is striking."

Gladiolus furrowed his brow. "But we made a peace treaty. Why would they attack?"

"The treaty doesn't keep them from wanting the crystal. It's most likely what they're after," Ignis expected.

Lightning intervened, "We have to quit talking. It's not going to drive them out."

The men nodded and headed for different destinations. With their skills, each one could manage one area of the castle while assisting the forces fighting Niflheim. Prompto took the gardens to the west. Ignis took the back. Gladiolus had the east of the castle. Noctis manned the front courtyard. Lightning would stay around the palace's center.

The monsters weren't as tough as PSICOM or the creatures on Pulse, but they still put up a rough fight. Lightning slashed several men, cut through multiple wyverns, and shot down many strange monstrosities she had never even seen before. The once spotless stone floor was splattered with deep red blood. The pools made the surface slippery. The floors were black before, but now they were scarlet; not just with the enemies' blood, but with Lightning's as well. Her wounds stung. They already opened up, spewing blood down her torso and arm. When things quieted down, she sat against one of the walls. She clenched her waist as it bled, dying her white shirt a dark red. Her vision began to blur. She could feel herself falling from consciousness.

Noctis was glad none of his allies were near him. That way, he could lash out. He whipped his blades around, dicing up the invaders into bloody bits. Monsters were slashed to mincemeat. He could feel his eyes burning red. He knew he was starting to lose control. He had to hold back. He lost control over his powers when he was near death, pushed himself too far, or was in emotional chaos. So if he lost his temper in battle, things may get sticky. He had to remain calm.

A clatter of metal was heard behind him. He turned to see falling Niflheim troops. Then some of his men came closer to him, his father closer behind. He, too, had powers like Noctis', but the potency had degraded over the years. His father was pretty old.

Noctis ran up to the king. "Is everyone alright?" He wasn't too worried about his father. He knew he could fight for himself.

"I hope so. We managed to get most of the servants to a safe place, but many of our soldiers and laborers were wounded."

Noctis cursed under his breath. This was spiraling out of control. He swore that if any of his friends were hurt after this was over, he would storm into Niflheim and take the lives of any man who had attacked his home.

"Noctis!" The king shook the price's shoulder. He was too caught up in his thoughts to hear what his father had said.

"Sorry, what?"

"Are you under control? Your eyes keep shifting from red to blue."

Noctis hadn't noticed. He had to be more careful. "Yes, I am fine."

Solis looked away, "I hope the others are. Especially Lightning. Her wounds are still pretty bad."

Noctis' eyes widened in disbelief. How could he have been so stupid? What made him think Lightning could fight alone when she was injured? This could make her wounds fatal!

"No!" Noctis said. He left his father to take care of more foes. 'Lightning,' he thought. 'Please, I beg of you, don't be hurt when I find you!'

"Lightning!" Wen shrieked in horror. She rushed to her bloody friend, grasping her hurt shoulder. She quickly knelt down next to the pink haired girl. "Lightning! Please say something!"

Lightning softly responded, "What… are you… doing here? You need to… be somewhere safe." Her voice was all but a whisper.

Wen's shoulder was shot when the attack began. Despite that, she cared more for her friend. She needed not to think of herself. "Don't worry about me, you're the one that's hurt!"

Wen heard loud footfalls coming, and fast! "Come on, we have to get you out of here!" Wen hastily tried to pull Lightning up. They were too late; the person had arrived.

"Lightning!" Wen was relieved that it was Prince Noctis coming.

"Your Highness!" Noctis knelt down beside Lightning.

He looked to Wen, "Is she okay?"

"I'm not sure. She hasn't spoken much." Noctis looked back to Lightning. Her face was dirty, her clothes spattered with blood. Her own wounds soaked his gloved as he held her up. What was once a beautiful woman was now a soldier dying in the line of duty. Wen snapped him back into reality. "I think I know where we could take her."

Noctis, desperate to hear, ushered, "Where?"

Wen explained, "There is a string of tunnels around the castle buried within the walls. They were used by servants so they could quickly reach their masters. I know them fairly well and I could lead you to one of the entrances."

Noctis didn't think twice, "Take me there." He picked up Lightning onto his back. Her head rested against his shoulder as he held up her legs at his waist. He took her saber in one of his hands, careful not to cut Lightning. Wen stood to start going. Noctis noticed her shoulder. "Wait." She obeyed. He reached over and began using his power to heal her. Lightning flinched. He remembered how his powers hurt her before. She didn't seem to be in as much pain as then, but it wasn't pleasant for her.

Wen gave Noctis a shallow bow. "Thank you," She turned around, "Now, let's get going!"

Wen started running with Noctis close behind. He was lucky his men were finally forcing back Niflheim's troops, or he would have had to use his power to take care of them. With his emotions stirred so much, it would be easy for his control to slip away.

Wen abruptly stopped at a stone statue of a knight holding a lance. She moved it with ease, most likely because the statue sounded hollow. Only a bare wall was left in front of her. She pushed down a small, square section of the wall that fell inward. When she withdrew her hand, she pushed a part of the stone open. It was a few feet taller than Noctis and about three feet wide. Noctis knew there were many secret passages in his home, but never had he seen this one.

Wen waved him in. Noctis stepped into the dark tunnel while Wen slid the door closed again.

She turned back to Noctis. "We weren't seen," She gestured to Lightning. "She should be okay in here."

Noctis sat down, shifting Lightning into his arms. He set her saber aside, cringing at the silver blade's red hue. She was looking pale, her face a ghostly white.

Wen felt Lightning's forehead. Noctis had an idea. "Wen, do more maids know about these halls?"

"Yes, many do."

'Yes, it can work.' "If you can, will you and other maids take the wounded around these tunnels for safe treatment?"

Wen's face slightly brightened. "That's a splendid idea! Of course, I will round up some of my coworkers immediately." Wen went back to the door to leave. Noctis stared at Lighting as he listened to the rumbling sound of the door closing. The thick onyx walls muted any outside noise, making the dim, narrow tunnels silent.

Noctis couldn't believe how stupid he was. How could he leave her alone? What made him think she could manage fighting while wounded? Noctis' head ached. His emotions were too unkempt to keep his powers under control. 'This may be a risky move,' he thought, 'but I have to try! It's her only hope!'

He gently set Lightning down onto the floor so she lied on her back. He was so pained to see her hurt. It was all his fault. He was to blame. Just like his mother's death.

The picture of his mother's corpse entered his mind. How could it not? Lightning looked just like her, was wounded, and lying in blood. His mother was in the same situation when he had struck her. Noctis shoved the thought away. Lightning told him to move on, so he would do his best to do so.

Noctis raised his hand, summoning his healing magics. His eyes grew red. With this much stress on his emotions, it was hard to keep his thoughts straight. The last thing he wanted to do was lose control and hurt Lightning further.

'Sorry, Light. This is going to hurt both of us.' He could already see the pain his powers put her in. Why did it do that to her? He didn't know. He didn't care. This was her only chance.

Noctis placed his Illuminating hand on her waist where her large scratch was. Lightning subconsciously groaned in agony as Noctis closed her wound. He would have healed it completely if it weren't for the pain it caused her. He would rather have it heal slowly than have her hurt so much now. After that wound was closed, he moved on to her shoulder. This one didn't take long to mend.

Lightning didn't move.

"No," Noctis whispered, "Please, Light! Open your eyes, speak, do something to show you'll be alright!"

Still, no response.

Noctis put her head in his lap. He could feel his heart shattering. He knew she was breathing, but it was shallow, weak. Almost as if her minutes were drastically numbered.

Noctis spoke softly, "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have abandoned you. This is all my fault." Noctis shut his eyes in despair. His voice trembled like the rest of his body.

"You… idiot." Noctis abruptly came back to reality as Lightning's eyes fluttered open.

"Lighting!" His world lit up as the color was slowly returning to her face. She coughed a little trying to sit up.

Noctis kept her from rising. "Save your strength."

She ignored his comment. She put her hand to her head, running her fingers through her bangs. "Where are we?"

"In a tunnel the maids use to get around. Wen lead me here to keep you safe." Noctis sounded overly relieved.

Lightning became worried, "Wait, is Wen okay?"

Noctis nodded. "She was wounded, but I healed her. She's fine."

Lightning looked back to her wounds. "Did you heal mine, too?"

Noctis was glad it was dark. The thought of touching her waist made him blush. "Yes."

Lightning was still in pain. Noctis reached over to her. "Here," he said. His hand started to glow again.

Lightning's hand flew to her chest, growling from the burning sensation. Noctis immediately withdrew his power .Why was she grasping her chest? Her wound was on her waist. He looked away, ashamed of hurting instead of healing her. "Sorry," he plainly said.

She shook her head. "I'm fine. It isn't as bad as the first time." She let her hand fall back to her side.

Noctis proceeded with asking her, "Are you feeling better? Does anywhere else hurt? Are you well enough to move?"

Lightning glared at him. "Slow down. I said I'm fine." She stood up. She stumbled a little. Noctis rose and caught her before she slammed into one of the walls. Noctis looked down to meet her eyes. "Feeling fine, huh?"

Lightning regained her balance so he could let go. Lightning said, "We need to see how things are out there." She stomped on the tip of her Blazefire Saber. It flipped up in the air, where Lightning grabbed hold of the handle. "Let's go."

Noctis moved to block her path to the exit. "Hold on, you're still injured, and—"

Lightning interrupted, "That doesn't mean I'm too weak to fight, now move!"

Noctis didn't budge.

"Noctis, get out of—"

"I know you won't listen to me on this," His voice was stern, "but you can't fight in your state. I'm sure you won't just sit back either." Noctis' tone grew softer. "But at least let me handle most of the action. I… can't bear to see you hurt again."

Lightning was touched. Normally it would be her risking her life for others. Now he was willing to fight for her this time. "Fine. But this better be quick."

Noctis nodded. They both exited the secluded tunnel, careful to watch for incoming enemies. They reached the front courtyard, where some of the last foes were defending their small numbers. The remaining men were easily overpowered and captured. It was finally over.

Lightning was feeling dizzy. Her head felt like an anvil on her shoulders. Her waist ached. Her former brand still burned. Why won't this pain go away?

Prompto, Gladiolus, Ignis, and King Caelum joined them shortly after they arrived at the castle's front steps. Each one was exhausted and covered in blood. Solis said they were lucky an assault as large as this one hadn't resulted in any deaths on their side. His workers were only wounded.

Noctis' friends turned their attention to Lightning. Prompto asked, "You're okay, right? You held up alright out there?"

Gladiolus chimed in, "Yeah, we shouldn't have left you to fend for yourself out there while injured."

Ignis finished, "Our deepest apologies."

Lightning reassured, "Don't worry, I'm alright." That was a lie. Her world was spinning. She had lost too much blood. She knew she had to get to rest soon.

She felt her legs shaking, struggling to hold herself up. Gladiolus grabbed one of her arms to support her. He looked to Solis, "We need to get her to the infirmary."

But Lightning couldn't go now. Something was moving behind Noctis. He hadn't seen as the wolf-like beast started straight for him. She shoved Gladiolus aside. "Noctis, watch out!"

She pushed Noctis aside just in time. But in order to defend herself, she had to kill it quickly. She casted blizzard on it, shooting the monster several feet back. She hadn't used her L'Cie magic since she left Pulse. She had given away her identity as an otherworldly being.

The men's eyes widened. The only ones in the whole world that could use magic were keepers of the crystal's power: Noctis and his father. How did she use magic now?

"Lightning… how did you…" Gladiolus wondered. She couldn't answer. Her legs gave way. She dropped her saber. It clattered against the stone steps. She started to fall. Noctis rushed to her, catching her before she hit the ground.

Ignis said, "It appears that we knew far less about her than we thought."

Prompto countered, "We can't mind that right now! She's still our friend and she needs help! Let's get her to the infirmary!"

Lightning heard a flurry of voices. They were too muffled to comprehend. Where was she? What happened? Did she faint? The voices became less jumbled and started to sound like individual tones. All sounded male. She opened her eyes to a blurry world. Her clouded vision cleared after a few seconds. She moaned from the burning coming from her wounds. She heard a voice say, "Hey, she's waking up!"

She sat up, resisting the pain it brought her. She rubbed her temples. "Lightning!"

She looked up. Noctis was rushing to her bedside. "Noctis? Where am I?

Prompto, Ignis, and Gladiolus followed him. Noctis answered, "In the infirmary. You lost too much blood and passed out."

Lightning held her head. It felt like a brick had fallen on it.

Ignis, always the one to get to the point, asked, "So, where did you say you were from again?"

All of her friends stopped to listen. They all wanted to know by now. "Why?"

Prompto said, "Because you used magic out there. Noctis and King Caelum are the only ones who can. But… you did. How?"

"Who says only those with crystal power can use it?"

Gladiolus answered, "Well, the only other records of people using magic are… in the legend of Fal'Cie."

They all looked to Lightning. Ignis said, "You don't know much about out kingdom, you say you believe in the legend, it's hard for you to get home, and you used magic. Just who are you?"

Even Noctis seemed curious to know. Lightning complied.

She took a deep breath. "I'm not from here. That's because… I'm from Cocoon. And I'm a Pulse L'Cie."


	12. Chapter 12: Nothing Else Matters

**Chapter 12 – Nothing Else Matters**

Four pairs of eyes gawked at Lightning. She was from where? She was a what?

Prompto was the first to speak. "Wait, wait, wait a minute." He shook his head, "L'Cie aren't real. They're just a myth," He looked to all of his friends, "right?"

Ignis answered, "If it was just a myth, then why does all of this make sense?"

Gladiolus jumped in, "That's true. With that piece, the puzzle fits together perfectly."

Noctis didn't say anything. He hated that it all fell into place. All those times he said he'd take her home, how he promised he find her a way to get back, it all sounded impossible now. He had made her sadder. When he made that promise, he reminded her that she had little chance of going home. Every time he brought it up he would only make her feel worse.

"Okay," Gladiolus said. "But how did you get here? And how are you from Cocoon? Aren't Pulse L'Cie from Pulse?"

Lightning clarified, "That's not necessarily true. In fact, it's completely wrong."

Prompto held his head, "Ugh! I'm getting confused!"

Noctis finally spoke. "Lightning," his voice was soft, "Can you explain?"

Lightning looked down. "It may take a while. That myth of yours doesn't sound accurate."

Ignis said, "You can trust us. Just take as much time as you need." Lightning never understood how Ignis knew how she wasn't quite ready to tell them her life story.

She looked to each one of them. She sighed, "Alright. But you better keep up. It will get a little complicated."

So she explained. She started with her parents' deaths. Then to when she became Guardian Corpse member. From Serah becoming a L'Cie, to meeting Sazh on the Purge train. Meeting Snow, Hope, and Vanille in the Hanging Edge, to fighting the Fal'Cie, Anima, that changed them into L'Cie. Splitting up at Lake Bresha to rejoining her fellow L'Cie in Palumpolum, with an addition of Fang this time. Invading the Palamecia to discovering Dysley's true identity, and what their Focus really was. Arriving on Pulse to fighting Barthandelus in Oerba. Leaving Pulse to running through Eden's hectic streets during the "Pulse Invasion." Finally, traveling through Orphan's Cradle before destroying Orphan itself, thwarting its plans of bringing back the Maker. Fang and Vanillle's sacrifice were the last events of that year. She told them of Fang and Vanille's revival three years later, then Fang's establishment of the Pulse Life Restoration. She finished with her mission to the Mah'habara, where she found the portal. She told her story in great detail, including getting her eidolon, Odin, fighting Dahaka at Taejin's Tower, seeing Serah after Cocoon's fall, and beginning to train Hope in combat.

She stared at her friends. "That's it."

The men were silent. Prompto sat down on one of the nearby beds. He held his head, letting his shotgun fall to the floor. Good thing the safety was on or one of them could have had a nasty wound on their hands. He yelled, "Ooow! Talk about you information overload!"

Gladiolus agreed, "You can say that again. That was quite an earful."

Ignis pushed up his glasses. "That was far more than a bedtime story like most say it is."

Lightning nodded.

Noctis said, "So… you all were supposed to destroy the world?"

She nodded again.

"Aw man," Prompto said, "That's pretty depressing… Did all of that really happen?"

She nodded a third time.

Gladiolus recalled, "But Noctis' power harmed you. The myth said it was meant to ward off L'Cie. But you're not one anymore."

Lightning said, "I still have the powers though. We all guessed it was because we were turned to crystal, but couldn't be given another focus, so we figured they stayed with us because there was no Fal'Cie to make us Cie'th or Crystal. We are practically focusless L'Cie, I guess."

Prompto added, "And you have a myth in your world that is about the crystal kingdoms and Noctis' family like we have one about Pulse and Cocoon?"

"Yes, but, like yours, it isn't very correct. And it isn't popular on Cocoon. I heard it from Fang. She was told the stories when she was a kid on Pulse."

Ignis pointed out, "You mentioned how the places where your brands were burned the most. Is that why when Noctis uses his power you clutch your…"

Prompto was lost. "Wait, does that mean your brand used to be…"

Noctis blushed. He was starting to have dirty thoughts.

Lighting glared. "Yes. And I suggest you don't bring it up if you value your life."

Gladiolus said, "Also, Noct used his power on you earlier, but you didn't faint like the first time you were exposed to it."

Ignis said, "That's right. Do the effects wear off after some time?"

Noctis said, "Looks like it. But that's sort of a good thing."

Prompto became serious. "So… how are you going to get home?"

Lightning looked down at her hands resting on her lap. "I… don't know. I haven't seen any portal that could get me home, not since I left Pulse. I'm not even certain if I can get back at all."

Noctis felt terrible. He couldn't imagine being stranded in a totally different world. Noctis looked to her. "So you didn't believe me?" He had an arrogant tone, similar to the one Snow uses whenever he says he's the hero.

Lightning looked up. The others raised an eyebrow at him. Noctis explained, "My promise. I said I'd get you home. And I intend to do so."

Prompto, Ignis, and Gladiolus smiled. It appeared that Noctis was growing attached to her. They were glad he had found someone that meant something to him.

Prompto sprang up. "You know what? We'll help all we can too!"

Ignis concluded, "It's the least we can do for a friend."

Noctis smiled. "I swear I will keep my promise."

Lightning grinned. "Thanks, but I can't ask for that from all of you. It's my responsibility."

Noctis said, "I'm pretty sure none of us care what you say, we'll be helping one way or another."

Lightning couldn't believe she had found these guys. She was with them for a little over a month now, yet they acted as if they had known each other for years. She rubbed her eyes. She was still tired.

Gladiolus said, "I guess we better let you rest. You still look weary."

Prompto added, "Yeah, you seem bushed. You should get some more sleep."

Ignis, Gladiolus, and Prompto headed for the door. Noctis warned, "You guys go ahead, I'll be there in a sec."

They left as Noctis turned to Lightning. She couldn't meet his gaze. She said, "Sorry."

Noctis tilted his head. He leaned against the wall across from the bed. "What for?"

"I kept it a secret for so long."

Noctis smiled one of his princely smiles. "Don't apologize for that. The rest of us would have don't the same thing if we were in your shoes." He walked over to her bed and sat on its edge. "I'm just happy we ran into you. Who knows where you would be if we hadn't."

Lightning finally looked at him. "You sound like your gloating."

He chuckled. Then he turned away. "I meant what I said, you know."

"What?"

His voice was sad. "When I promised I'd get you home. I can tell you want to go back."

"This place has really grown on me."

He didn't look back. She realized how sad he seemed whenever he talked about her leaving.

"You don't want me to go, do you?"

Noctis said, "I still don't know much about you. I want you to be happy at home but… I'm happy when you're around." He looked at her. Their eyes met. "I just want to know everything about you."

Lighting said, "I'll make a promise in return to yours then. I'll let you know anything about me. If you ask."

Noctis smiled. He started to lean closer to her. "Maybe I want to find out instead of asking. It'll be more… fun that way."

Lightning moved closer to him. "Good luck."

They slowly brought their faces closer, and closer. Lightning craned her neck to reach his face. They were centimeters apart. Their breaths blew across their cheeks. There were no interruptions: no friends to barge in on them, no duties for Noctis to attend to, no foes to take care of. They could do it this time. But Lighting realized something.

She wasn't ready.

Noctis was ready to kiss her. But she turned her face away at the last second. Noctis leaned back to see what had happened. She seemed distressed. "Something wrong?"

Lightning wanted to kiss him. She truly did. The only problem was that she didn't know if it was a good idea. "It's just that I've never gotten this close to another man before. I don't know… if this is right."

Noctis was hurt. But he couldn't bring himself to be angry at her. He could understand her feelings. She was the first woman he was becoming drastically close to as well.

She whispered, "I'm sorry."

Noctis took her hands. "Stop apologizing. You haven't done anything wrong." He stared into her eyes for a moment. Her beautiful icy blue irises never ceased to take his breath away. "I don't want to cross any of your boundaries. Do whatever makes you comfortable."

His next line surprised her. "As long as you're happy, nothing else matters to me."

Lightning blushed. Her face was turning beet red. No man was ever this kind to her. He told her, "You should rest now. Maybe once you get some strength back I can try healing you again."

Lightning said, "Yeah, I guess." She didn't expect Noctis' next move. Not even he did. He leaned over and lightly kissed her forehead.

He didn't know why he did it. It was almost instinct. He gently pushed her shoulder to signal for her to lie down. "Now, get some sleep. You'll heal faster that way."

She was too shocked to object. He lovingly covered her with the clean bed sheet. He ran his fingers through her hair. "Sleep well."

He walked out of the infirmary to join his friends. He had a lot of work to do. He had to start checking on his servants, rebuilding rooms that were practically destroyed, and calm down the press who would have heard of the event by now. He would have to check for one of the portals Lightning mentioned later.

Prompto wandered down to the infirmary a few hours later. He was wondering how Lightning was doing. The sun was setting and she still hadn't been able to get up. He wasn't surprised. She wasn't in the best condition. He entered the bland room to see Lightning sitting up, holding her saber. She stared at the silver blade as it shined in her hands.

"Yo," Prompt greeted. "What are you doing?"

She looked over to him. "Nothing, just reminiscing."

Prompto sat down next to her. "Really? I wouldn't think you could do that with a sword."

Lightning put the weapon back into her sheath. "It was my father's. I got it from my combat teacher."

Prompto was intrigued. "How did your teacher have it?"

"He and my father were close friends, or so he told us. They worked together at PSICOM. When my father died, he kept his blade."

Prompto was still a little confused. Lightning told him about meeting her teacher in an ally. How he took care of her and Serah. How she was guilty for living off of him. How she ran away.

Prompto nodded. "He sounds like a nice guy. What's his name?"

"Trinko."

Prompto raised an eyebrow. "Trinko? What kind of a name is that?"

"What kind of a name is Prompto?"

"An awesome one."

Lightning rolled her eyes. "Trinko is a nickname my father gave him. They were really close."

Prompto asked, "How did he get that nickname?"

"He collects a lot of junk. Or, as he likes to call them, trinkets."

Prompto nodded. "Makes sense now."

Lightning looked down.

Prompto never liked to see people upset. It just wasn't his thing. With his past, he wanted to forget any unhappiness anyone had, including his own. "What's wrong?"

Lightning said, "I've always wondered if running away was a good decision."

Prompto felt sorry for her. He had made some regretful decisions himself. He got a brilliant idea. He sprang up from the bed. "Wait here! I'll be right back!"

He ran out of the room, leaving Lightning puzzled. He returned a few minutes later with a glass of brown liquid. He held it out to her. "This can help."

She took the glass from him. "Chocolate milk?"

"Well, yeah," He said. He sat back down next to her. "Mrs. Matron always gave me chocolate milk when I was upset."

Lightning raised a brow. "Who?"

Prompto blushed. "Oh, she was the person who took care of me when I was a little kid. Well, me and other kids at my orphanage."

Lightning didn't hear much about Prompt's past. He never talked about it. "You're an orphan?"

Prompto glanced at her. "Um, yeah. My parents died when I was a baby."

Lightning didn't know he had such a rough past. "I can relate."

Prompto grinned. "I can relate to you being far from home, too. Even I am really far from my home country."

"Why?"

His face became dark. "I ran away. I was a fugitive."

Lightning gasped. "What? For what crime?"

His voice was dull. "Murder."

Lightning saw how depressed he was. But he fought during the invasion just fine. "You killed the enemy while they attacked the castle earlier. Shouldn't that bother you too then?"

He stared at his hands. "None of those guys were my family."

Lightning's eyes widened.

Prompto continued. "I didn't do it, okay? I was the prime suspect and the last one with my brother." His voice cracked. "I couldn't deal with the pressure of being hunted down by the cops, so I ran away. I ran for two years before I made it to Noctis. He actually believed my story about being framed. He hid me here until the authorities gave up searching in the area. He's kept me here since."

Lightning understood why he didn't talk about the past. "Why did you tell me this?"

He smiled, "Hey, you shared your past. It wouldn't be fair for me to hold mine back."

Lightning sipped the milk. It was sweet, but not too bitter either. Just perfect. "Is that why you're always happy? Trying to block out the bad memories?"

"Pretty much. Be glad you heard my story first. The other guys' are kind of boring."

"How so?"

"Well, Ignis' family has served Noctis' for years. They're like advisors. He and Noctis have just become close friends while Ignis helped him with all his princely duties. Gladiolus is an orphan too. He lived on the streets for a while before Noctis found him when he was at a festival. He gave him a place to stay. They are close friends. I joined some years ago. The four of us have been together since."

Lightning smiled. It reminded her of how her and her friends stayed together after fighting the Fal'Cie. "You know Prompt, I'm glad you are able to put the past behind you and be happy. That's something I haven't been able to do yet."

He gave her a kind smile. "Well then, if you need an expert, I'm your man!"

The two laughed. The episode surprised Lightning. 'Who would've thought me and Prompt would be close.'

Serah sighed. She set down the dishes she started washing and gazed out the window. 'Over a month now,' she thought. 'Lightning, how long will you be gone? Please, be safe."

Tears welled up in her eyes. Her big sister was gone. After all she had done. Lightning always lived selflessly. She gave up her personal life to take care of her. She lost all free time when she worked to pay for their home. She protected people for a living. She trained Hope just because he asked her. She sacrificed her whole life for others. But now she was missing. Why did she deserve that?

She began to remember most of the things she had done with her sister. Playing with toys as little kids. Sitting with their parents shortly before their deaths. Struggling to survive as they lived on the streets. Lightning becoming Guardian Corpse. She recalled it all. Even the time they had stayed with a friend for a little while.

Those memories hit Serah. She remembered every minute they had spent with that man. He was former PSICOM when he found them. Lightning and Serah had been wandering the streets a year after their parents' death. It was raining. He was throwing something in a dumpster when Serah saw him. He spotted her. Being a scared little kid, Serah ran, finding Lightning nearby. She hid behind her. The man called after her, "Wait, hold on a minute!"

He caught up with her, his face becoming soft as he saw two little girls standing in tattered clothes. He said, "Hey, what are you girls doing out here?" He knelt down beside them. Lightning became harsh she kept Serah out of his view. He asked, "Where are you guys going? You should be home." Lightning's young face didn't change. Realization overwhelmed the man's expression. "You… don't have a home?"

Serah peeked over Lightning's shoulder. She shook her head. The man had a small backpack on. He swept it off of his back and pulled something out. It was a roll. He extended his hand to Lightning. "Here. Go on, take it."

Lightning cautiously took the bread from him. She handed it to Serah, who gladly bit into it. The man seemed sad. "You know what?" He said, "Why don't you guys come with me. I have a nice room you could use." Lightning stepped back, glaring at him. In return, he gave her a goofy grin. Lightning giggled. The man stood, "Come on then." Lightning didn't budge. He was just as stubborn as her. He lifted her by her waist onto his shoulder. He held her back so she wouldn't slide off. He grabbed Serah's small hand. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt you guys."

After that, Lightning and Serah stayed with the man. He somehow knew their father. He said their father and him had worked together in PSICOM. Because of the man's skill from the PSICOM business, he was more than happy to teach Lightning how to fight. He was her combat teacher. He taught her everything she knows.

Sadly, Lightning didn't feel that they should live off of him long. She eventually had her and Serah run away from his home, wanting to start her own life in Bodhum, where Lightning used the skills the man taught her to get into Guardian Corpse.

Serah missed that man. He was so kind and funny. Come to think of it, she and Lightning spent more time keeping him out of trouble than him taking care of them. Serah sighed again. It was time for her to get to P.L.R. to start her search for Lightning again.

Serah would meet Snow there. She left her apartment and headed up the dirt path to the base. When she got to the front of the large building, she saw something that had astounded her. 'No way…'

Snow was talking to a man. Serah recognized him immediately. Someone she missed greatly. The kindest person she had met. The only one who could make Lightning smile. The one who trained Lightning. She started running to the man. "Trinko!"

The full moon made the night sky shine. Its haunting glow illuminated the dark terrain. Noctis excavated the outskirts of his kingdom with hopes of finding some clue as to what Lightning had mentioned. He even found a picture of the portal she described in a book from his library. He would find a way to make her happy.

He wandered the woods that were not too far from his castle. He checked small caves that were around. But nothing. He hadn't found anything abnormal. He had been looking around for a few hours. Judging by the moon's position, he guessed it was near midnight.

A hill was in his way of viewing the land. He started to climb it. He knew there was a shallow chasm, about twenty feet deep. He didn't think there would be anything but forgotten garbage down there, but it was worth a glance. He reached the top of the hill. He wasn't expecting to see the sight.

He had found it.

Author's note: Trinko is a made up character. I always wondered what Lightning's trainer would be like, so I thought it would be fun to use him in the story. You'll learn more about him in the next chapter (Currently in progress.)

P.S. Sorry if the story's layout is kinda crappy. I still am not sure how to fix some of it.


	13. Chapter 13: Trinko

**Chapter 13 – Trinko**

Snow was genuinely confused when Serah ran up and embraced the man asking for the head of P.L.R. She knew him?

Snow interrupted their reunion. "Uh, Serah, you know this guy?"

Serah said, "Yeah, he took care of me and Light when we were little. And he taught Lightning how to fight."

Snow's eyes widened. "No way! You're Light's teacher?"

The man nodded. He seemed rather old, but was obviously not ready to kick the bucket any time soon. He was tall. His hair was a dark brown, almost black. His eyes were hazel green. He wore a small backpack across his shoulder. His black leather jacket had belts strewn down the sleeves. His white shirt contrasted with it. His black pants were falling just short of his ankles, not that it showed any skin. His brown combat boots, that had many belts on it as well, were tucked under the bottom of his pants. His right shoulder had a piece of armor on it, similar to the one Lightning had. A sword was strapped to his lower back, attached to his belt.

The man smiled. Light clearly didn't act so serious from his example. He was much brighter and friendlier. "The name's Trinko. Nice to meet you."

Snow was puzzled by his name. "Well, I'm Snow Villiers, Serah's husband."

Trinko chuckled. "I'm not surprised Serah got married before Lightning. She was always more stubborn and hard to work with."

Serah asked, "What are you doing here? We haven't seen you for years."

Trinko teased, "That's because you guys ditched me."

Serah frowned. "Lightning said we shouldn't live off of you."

"Yeah, I know. But I'm pretty sure you guys kept me out of trouble more than I took care of you."

Serah said, "I'm really happy to see you, but still, what are you doing here?"

Trinko scratched the back of his head. "It may be better to explain it to all of your friends."

Fang, Hope, Vanille, Snow, Sazh, and Serah introduced themselves to Trinko. They sat in Fang's office at the P.L.R. base.

Fang got the ball rolling. "So, Trinko, if that's your nickname, then what's your real name?"

Trinko answered, "My birth name is Yamada Ero. But Trinko was a name everyone called me. Yamada just never fell off of anyone's tongues."

Sazh asked, "But why Trinko?"

Trinko pulled out a few things from his backpack. "I collect 'trinkets.' Most would see some of it as junk, but they're treasure to me." He held up a skull. Vanille shrieked. "Whoa, sorry. But I don't think this thing will hurt you." The skull was about the size of his fist. It had an elongated snout, similar to a rat's head. "I found this skull in a ditch when I was a stupid teenager. If I hadn't fallen in that ditch, I wouldn't have met my good friend, Bellum Farron."

Hope burst out, "One of Lightning and Serah's relatives?"

Trinko nodded. "Their father actually. We worked together in PSICOM." He hid the skull and pulled out a long chain with a gold oval attached. On the oval had an engraving of a spear. "I found this on my first mission as a PSICOM out in the Vile Peaks. I'm not sure what the spear means, but it's still really cool."

He pulled out an envelope from his backpack. "This is very special to me." He handed the envelope to Serah. She took out a car that was folded in two. There were no designs on it or anything creative, the front was blank. There were three words written on the inside: Sorry. Thank you.

Serah grew sadder. "You kept this?"

Sazh looked over. "What is it?"

She answered, "A card Light left for him when we ran away. I didn't think it meant this much to you."

Trinko started packing back his trinkets. "Everything I keep means something. I don't just keep a bunch of garbage, I collect things that matter. That was the only thing I had left of you girls. It broke my heart when you two left. You guys were like my own flesh and blood."

Serah smiled. "Sorry, Trinko."

He held up his hand. "Don't be. If you stuck with me you would never have saved Cocoon. Then who knows where we would be."

Fang said, "Well then, let's get down to business. What were you looking for here?"

Trinko said, "I've been stuck on Cocoon for a few years now. With all the people still there trying to get down, the wait was long. When I got here a few weeks ago, I had to try and settle in. It wasn't easy. But it became even harder when I heard the news. 'Lightning Farron of Pulse Life Restoration Gone Missing.' When I heard that, I couldn't just sit around and let my protégé wander around who-knows-where. So I went looking for Fang, seeing as how she was the leader of P.L.R."

Snow said, "So you're just looking for Light?"

Trinko nodded. "She's not just my student. She's not even the kid of a good friend. She's like my one of my own, no matter how much I piss her off," He chuckled.

Sazh said, "You have any ideas as to what could have happened?"

Trinko said, "No clue. But I'm going to help you all as much as I can. I just need to know what you have found to try and come up with a conclusion."

Fang crossed her arms. "Well, you've come to the wrong place. We've found a whole load of nothin'."

Snow intervened, "But Fang, what about the place in the Mah'habara that…"

Vanille said, "Yeah, where our brands start to burn."

Trinko was interested. "What are you guys saying?"

Snow said, "There's a path where Light disappeared that has us all scratching our heads. The places where our brands were start to burn like crazy."

Trinko put his hands together. "Sounds like that myth…"

Fang didn't think Cocoon people would know about that. "What myth?"

Trinko said, "It's a legend about a family called the Caelums that control the power of crystals—"

Fang interrupted, "Yeah, I know. But that's a Pulse legend. How do you know about that?"

Trinko smirked, "I was a nosy PSICOM member. I snooped in all the forbidden documents PSICOM hid. Most of them were about Pulse or the old ways of Pulse. I stumbled upon a book about it."

Fang pointed out, "But that's just a myth. It's impossible."

Trinko countered, "Think about what you all have done: Destroying Fal'Cie, toppling the corrupt government, giving the world back to the people," He paused, "didn't that sound impossible? But it was still done."

He had a point.

Vanille said, "So you think that may be the case with Lightning's disappearance?"

Trinko said, "Maybe. After all, I know Light. And I know she wouldn't get herself caught up in a situation she knew she couldn't handle."

Hope spoke up, "So, do you think we could find her?"

Trinko nodded. "If we try hard enough, of course. If you take me to that place you mentioned, then maybe I could think of some options as to where Lightning may be."

They all stood and headed for the door. Trinko stopped Serah before she left. "You okay?" He asked.

Serah smiled. "Yeah. I'm sure Lightning wouldn't want me to worry."

The dark Mah'habara didn't help the gang find anything suspicious. Vanille led the way to where Lightning was pulled into the portal. Trinko barely blinked as he thought about the possibilities as to where Lightning could be. The legend seemed to fit into place with everything that happened, but that didn't mean it was real. Maybe it really was just a story. Maybe Lightning had gotten into some trippy situation.

The red head stopped in front of a dirt wall. "This is it," She said, her accent making her sound foreign, "This is where she was pulled in."

Fang looked to the new guy. "So Trink, what do you think?"

Trinko walked up to the wall. He touched it. "Fang, you said when you touched it it burned your shoulder, correct?"

Fang nodded. "Yeah, that's where my brand was."

He mumbled, "I wasn't a L'Cie, so… Hey, Snow, touch this wall."

Snow held up his hands. "You know what? I'm good."

Hope turned to Snow, "Come on, Snow. Do it for Light."

Snow sighed. "Alright. But I better not, like, die."

He approached the wall, hesitating when he brought up his hand. He barely touched the dirt with his finger when he was forced back with a cry. "Damn it!" He yelled.

Trinko said, "Sorry, I had to test it."

Sazh asked, "Test what?"

Trinko answered, "I was never a L'Cie, so if it hurt only you guys, who were L'Cie and still have the powers, then that increases the chance of this portal coming from that legend."

Serah said, "Is that really possible?"

Fang said, "Right now, it looks like it."

Trinko faced the wall. "I know I'll look crazy for this, but here goes." He knocked on the wall. "Hello?"

The L'Cie thought he had lost it. Talking to a wall? Serah asked, "Trinko, are you sure you—"

She was interrupted by an answer. "Hello?"

Everyone's eyes widened. That voice wasn't Lightning's, but it was a voice. One coming from a wall? None of them had even heard the tone before. Trinko came back to reality. "Is someone there?"

"Yeah. Who is this?" The voice answered. It was definitely male.

"My name is Trinko. Who are you?"

No answer.

'Great,' Trinko thought. 'A shy one.' "Come now, I told you mine."

The voice gave in. "I'm Noctis."

Fang gasped. "Wait a minute," She said. "What's your last name?"

No answer.

Fang growled, "Tell me, damn it!"

Trinko signaled for her to be quiet. "Excuse my friend. Her name is Fang."

"Fang?"

Trinko was intrigued. "You know her?"

"Not exactly."

Fang asked again, "Well, Noctis, what is your last name?" It was a name mentioned in the myth. Trinko's theory sounded more and more real.

The voice, Noctis, answered, "My full name is Noctis Lucis Caelum."

Fang couldn't believe it. She whispered to Trinko, "You were right. It IS real."

Trinko questioned, "You said you heard of Fang before. Where did you hear it?"

"A friend told me."

All of the L'Cie were dumbfounded. Serah shouted, "Is she Lightning?"

Noctis said, "How do you know her?"

Serah was now crying. "My name is Serah! She's my sister!"

Noctis couldn't believe it. 'No way,' he thought. 'I found it.' The book he held that had the picture of the portal he was looking for hit the ground. He spoke to Serah, "You're her little sister?"

She cried, "Yes! Please tell me, is she alright?"

Noctis didn't want to answer. "She is injured, but yes, she is okay and in a safe place."

Serah sighed. Trinko added, "And do you know if she will return soon?"

Noctis said, "Hard to say. She's been looking for a way back for a long time. But with this portal, maybe she could go back."

Fang spoke up, "Wait, there's a portal on your side? There's nothing over here."

Noctis was still astounded by her accent. You never heard anything like it in his kingdom. "Yeah, there is one. But I'm not sure if it's safe to use."

"One more thing," Fang said. "Are you… a prince?"

Noctis was silent for a moment. How did she know? "Yes, I am."

Fang knew now. The legend was real. And Lightning was living it.

"How did you know?"

Vanille answered this time. "It's a myth here. Fang and I were told the stories when we were kids."

Noctis said, "It's just as she said…"

Trinko ushered, "Just as who said?"

Noctis explained, "Lightning, she said my world was a legend on her side. Are you all on Pulse?"

Trinko said, "Yes."

Noctis said, "That's what I thought. She said my world was a legend over there… but your world is a legend in mine. There are no Fal'Cie or L'Cie here. Only my kingdom's crystal."

Fang was confused again. "Don't more kingdoms have one?"

"Not any more. They were all either destroyed or given up. My kingdom has the last one. And I am the last heir that can control its power."

Fang had heard enough. She was glad they now knew where Lightning was and that she was okay, but this was starting to be too much. Trinko wasn't finished. "So are you—"

A mechanical ring could be heard. It stopped. Noctis didn't say anything for a few moments. He finally said, "I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"Wait!" Serah screamed, "You can't go yet!"

Noctis felt bad for leaving so soon. "I have to, Serah. But I'll have you know that I promise I will return Lightning to you safely."

Serah was speechless. Did he really mean that?

Fang said, "Fine. But you need to meet us back here same time tomorrow. Either that, or I'll come over and kill you myself."

Noctis said, "Noted. I shall meet you here tomorrow."

Fang heard his footsteps as he walked away.

Noctis was ready to tell Lightning everything. He rushed to the castle, unable to contain his excited emotions.

"Lightning!"

Lightning turned to her door to see an out of breath Noctis. "Knock much?"

Noctis walked over to her, "This is very important!"

"What?"

A ring sounded from Noctis' pocket. 'Damn it. Not now!'

It was his father. "Noctis, are you almost ready?"

"For what?"

King Caelum sighed. "For the ball. You're supposed to make an appearance."

'Crap.' "No, I actually forgot."

"Then start getting ready. You have a half hour."

Noctis hung up. He looked to Lighting, who had crossed her arms while impatiently waiting for him. "Um, I have to go."

Lightning said, "Fine. Tell me whatever you were going to say later."

Noctis prepared to leave when he remembered something. "Hey, Lightning?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you know a…" What was the name? "Trinko?"

Lightning was shocked. How did he know that name? "Yes, he was my combat teacher. How do you know him?"

He turned around. "I'll explain later."

Wen pushed Lightning down the finely decorated hallway. "You should go! It'll be fun!"

Lightning resisted with as much force she could muster without hurting her friend. "No, damn it! I'm not going to a stupid ball!"

"Oh, come on! You don't even have to dress up! Just go and say hi to Prince Noctis!"

"Why?"

Wen wanted to say because she knew Noctis admired her. But she was aware that was a bad idea. "Just because!"

Wen managed to get Lightning through the tall doors that lead to the ballroom. The floor was gold tile with elegant engraving of patterns. There were at least fifty tables full of food for the some thousand guests to eat. Several chandeliers hung from the high ceiling. To the far right of the room sat the king on a throne at the top of some steps. His throne was so high that he could see the whole ballroom from his seat.

Lightning saw Noctis standing next to him. He was dressed in his normal clothing. He clearly didn't want to be there. He probably wanted to make an appearance and just leave after. Wen gave Lightning a final shove. "Just go talk to him!"

"No!"

Too late. Gladiolus and Ignis spotted her. "Hey!" Gladiolus shouted. "Didn't expect to see you here!"

Wen smirked as she started to leave Lightning to the boys. She was hoping their plan would work.

Ignis didn't approve of their idea at all. He knew Noctis and Lightning would be pissed. But he did agree that it would be funny.

Prompt was on the other side of the ballroom, climbing the steps to King Caelum's chair. He showed them a thumbs up; Commence phase one.


	14. Chapter 14: Goodbye

**Chapter 14 – Goodbye**

**Prologue**

Fang and Vanille stood at the front gate of P.L.R. Vanille asked, "Do you think we can trust this Trinko? I know he and Serah are close and all, but isn't it a little risky?"

Fang responded, "Maybe, but he did what none of us thought of. He actually found out where Lightning was. I'd rather stick with him instead of trying to manage without his expertise in fighting and investigating. That's what PSICOM did, right?"

Vanille said, "I think so, but I'm not too sure on the investigating part."

"Whatever. We should –"

Fang's communicator beeped. She took it in her hand. The long, skinny, phone-like communicator was similar to the one she used to talk to Snow in Palumpolum three years ago. She flipped it open and brought it to her ear. "Yeah?"

Static. No person was speaking.

'The hell?' "Who is this? Hello?"

Vanille asked, "What's wrong?"

Fang heard a crackling voice. "Fang… soldiers…for us… get ready…. Fight."

That was all Fang could hear between the static. "What? You're breaking up?"

It was clearer now, "Fang, it's Snow. There are some armored soldiers coming straight for New Bodhum. They're armed! We need to get ready for a fight!"

Fang dropped the communicator. "Vanille, let's go!"

Vanille ran after Fang, who started to run into the base. "What's going on?"

Fang said, "It looks like we're under attack!"

Fang thought, 'Why do I feel like they could have come from the other side of that portal? That guy, Noctis, better not have been lying to us about knowing Lightning.'

Chapter 14 – Goodbye

Lightning couldn't believe it. Why was she forced to go to a damn ball? She wasn't even dressed up, not that she minded. She ignored all of the puzzled or appalled stares from the party guests. They were all snooty nobles anyway. Gladiolus put his arm around her shoulder to force her to the middle of the room. "Well, Light, don't you think you should stay for a little bit? Even Noctis over there was willing to attend for a short time."

Ignis said, "He doesn't like all the attention he gets from social events. That's why he didn't dress up; he'd rather get out as soon as possible without having to dance with anyone." Of course, Ignis knew he would be dancing with someone anyway. It was all part of the plan.

Prompto, on the other side of the room, addressed the king with a bow. "Good evening, Your Majesty. Having fun?"

Solis said, "Yes, but why so formal tonight?"

Prompt shrugged, "Dunno, just feel like being all fancy."

Noctis rolled his eyes. "Come on, I don't want to be here much longer. Let's get out of here."

Prompto glanced over at Gladiolus and Ignis. They were gradually working Lightning to the middle of the dance floor. 'Phase one, complete. Commencing phase two.' Prompto grabbed Noctis by his shoulder. "Actually, we promised someone they could dance with you."

Noctis glared at him. "You did what?"

"Don't worry, you'll like it!"

"Prompto!" Noctis was forcing Prompto out of his way to the door. Prompto did the best he could to push Noctis over to Gladiolus and Ignis. 'Come on, Noct! This is all part of the plan!'

Gladiolus and Ignis weren't having much luck either. They were almost to the dance floor, but Lightning was strong. It would take forever to get her there! Luckily her boot slipped, allowing the men to usher her faster. They met Prompto in the middle of the dance floor. With a final shove, Gladiolus and Prompto caused Lightning and Noctis to bump into each other. The two stared at each other awkwardly for a moment.

"Have fun!" Prompto declared before disappearing into the crowd of eager dancers. A song was starting.

"Wait a minute!" Lightning shouted.

Ignis put Noctis' hand on Lightning's waist. He took Lightning's and put it on Noctis' shoulder. "Don't forget your dancing posture."

With that, the boys left. The party goers around them started dancing. Noctis and Lightning stood there, in shock of what just happened. Lightning, ready to get out of this awkward situation, let go of Noctis to try and finally leave. She was stopped by Prompto. "Where are you going!"

Prompto pushed her back to Noctis, who caught her clumsily. Ignis set up their posture again. With a friendly push, Gladiolus got them to start moving with the rest of the dancers.

Noctis understood what was going on; It was a set up! His stupid ass friends planned this! They were going to make him dance with Lightning… which wasn't a bad idea.

Noctis began to move his feet in a gracious matter. He hated it, but he was used to dancing. Lightning, on the other hand, was foolishly slipping as she tried to figure out what she was doing. She moved in her own directions, ignoring Noctis' steps. "Let me lead!" He whispered.

"No!"

Noctis wished she wouldn't be so stubborn right now. When he went left, she went right. When she went back, she was supposed to go forward with him. It was starting to get frustrating. When the time came for Noctis to spin Lightning, she nearly toppled over another couple, who gawked at then with snobby eyes.

Lightning released Noctis' hand and began to walk away. Noctis just stood there, trying to comprehend what had happened. But she couldn't get away. Noctis' friends forced her back to Noctis, set them up to dance again, and kept them moving.

Lightning started to give in and follow his steps. She was starting to get it. She turned with Noctis, went the same direction, and even stopped fumbling around for a little bit. Noctis was proud. She had learned so quickly. "I didn't know you were a fast learner." He smiled down at her.

"Shut up."

Noctis chuckled. The finale was coming. He warned, "Okay, this next part will be tricky, pay close attention."

Lightning nodded. She was too busy concentrating to try and run now. The music became more dramatic. Noctis started moving faster. Lightning could barely keep up. "It's okay," He said, "Just follow me."

Lightning obeyed. He spun her around, only more carefully this time. He willingly grasped her waist to move her around. When the finale came, he dipped her down low and caressed her back. He held her face close to his. The dance was over. Noctis slowly brought Lightning back up. He never took his eyes off of hers.

Back at the king's throne, Prompto, Ignis, and Gladiolus shared a high-five. Their plan had worked. They would have to thank Wen for helping out later.

Noctis didn't let go of Lightning. He kept her close, just staring at her. Lightning couldn't move. She was too preoccupied with gazing into Noctis' eyes. She realized that she was feeling dizzy. Maybe from all of that spinning and dipping. "I need to get some fresh air."

Noctis took his arms from her. "Here, this way."

Noctis lead Lightning to a balcony, away from the rest of the people. His watching friends commented, "Ooo, they're going to comfortable now, huh?" Ignis just rolled his eyes.

The balcony was three times bigger than Lightning's. A gold curtain blocked the ballroom from the outside, probably to keep bugs out. Lightning walked to its edge. The rail came up to her waist. She sat down on it. Noctis sat next to her. "You actually did pretty well out there."

Lightning growled, "Your friends better not try anything like that again."

Noctis countered, "They're your friends too."

Lightning looked down. "It was still embarrassing."

"Yeah, maybe it could have looked better if we both dressed for the occasion."

Lightning glared at him. "Yeah, right."

Noctis complimented, "I'm sure you would look beautiful in a ball gown."

Lightning blushed. He reached over and took her hands. "I mean it."

Lightning answered, "You probably won't see me in one."

Noctis chuckled. "Probably not," he snaked his arms around her waist. "but you're perfect without one." He leaned down to her face and kissed her right on the lips.

Lightning was too shocked to do anything at first. She just sat there with her eyes wide open. But she soon relaxed, returning his kiss.

'What did I just do?' Noctis didn't know how he decided to kiss her, but damn, it was worth the risk of her killing him. Her lips were so warm and soft. He hugged her waist close to his body, as if it were longing for her. He felt her hug him back, returning the pressure of his kiss. That made him kiss her harder. He didn't want to make her too uncomfortable, but now that he knew she accepted his affection, he wanted more. He passionately deepened the kiss.

Lightning didn't think. She acted. She clenched his back with all of her might. She forced her lungs to go without air just so she could kiss him. She understood now; she cared for him. She couldn't deny it any longer. He was a part of her. Fate sent her to his world, his kingdom, so she may meet him. He was meant to meet her.

Even though Lightning was just figuring that out, Noctis was sure how he felt.

He loved her.

He needed her. He CRAVED her. She meant everything to him. In such a short time, she had taken over his life, taken over his heart. She was willing enough to take him with every flaw he had, every insecurity he housed. She didn't care that he was royalty or the most powerful man in the world. She only cared that he was himself. For that, he loved her. He knew it for sure. He had to repeat it to himself a million times.

I love you. I love you. I love you. It was all he could think during her kiss.

Noctis started to feel lightheaded. He realized neither of them had taken a breath since the beginning of their kiss. He hesitantly pulled back, sad to let her go. They both gasped for air. Noctis stared into Lightning's eyes. She was everything he could ever want. She was all he required to be happy. She was his everything. He was crushed when she sprang up from her seat on the stone rail. "I have to go."

She hastily walked over to a stone staircase that went from the balcony to a garden. Noctis couldn't just watch her go. He leapt from the rail. He called, "Wait!" He ran into the dark garden. The moonlight provided little visibility. If Lightning hadn't been wearing white, it would have been difficult to find her. He grabbed her wrist as she walked away. "Wait, Lightning!"

Lightning held still. She didn't say anything.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't get so attached to you."

Noctis felt crushed. She had just kissed him. Now she was avoiding him. "But why not?"

She started to shout. "Don't you get it? I don't belong here! I'm a L'Cie! Something that doesn't exist here! I have things I HAVE to get back to! I'm sorry…" Her voice quieted. "But I just can't stay. I need to get back to Serah."

Noctis' heart was shattering. He just realized that he loved her. But he knew it couldn't be. He was a prince. She was a L'Cie. It couldn't work. "You're not happy here… are you?"

Lightning didn't answer.

Noctis let her wrist fall. "Follow me."

Lightning turned around. He was walking away from the castle. "Where are you going?"

He just said, "Follow me. I will take you home."

Noctis took Lightning to the outskirts of the kingdom. He didn't speak the whole way there. He was giving up the one he learned to love. He was letting go of his the one he cared for the most. His heart couldn't take it. He knew if he spoke he would start to have second thoughts.

He led her to the top of the hill that hid the chasm. He turned to her. "Look down there."

She stepped forward. She gasped at the sight. The portal. The same one that took her from her home. "That's it."

Noctis explained, "I found it the other day. Your friends were on the other side. Serah sounded worried."

Lightning stared at him. "You talked to Serah?"

"The ones who did most of the talking were Fang, Serah, and one more named Trinko."

Lightning mumbled, "He came looking for me too?"

Noctis said, "It seems like they were all frantically trying to find you. Fang wanted me to talk to her again later today, but I think it may be better for you to send you home now."

Lightning gawked in disbelief. "You're… letting me go?"

Noctis turned his back to her. He stared back at his city. "I fully healed you earlier. And you are not a prisoner here. You are free to go as you please. I won't stop you."

Lightning knew he was sad. He was speaking in a monotone, obviously trying to mask his hurt feelings. She felt bad for yelling at him earlier. "Look, Noctis, I…"

Noctis interrupted, "You don't have to apologize. I know you want to go. So just go." He didn't want to bear with his pain of watching her leave any longer.

Lightning continued, "That's not what I was going to say. I am grateful to all you've done for me. I don't know what may have happened if you hadn't taken me in. I can never repay you."

Noctis answered, "Don't worry, you don't have to pay me back. Just… promise me one thing."

Lightning waited for his request.

"Be happy over there. And… Never forget me." He could handle the thought that she was leaving for good, but him just becoming a memory to her… that was too much.

"I could never forget you." Noctis smiled at that. If only he was from her world. Maybe then he could be with her.

"But I can't make that promise." Noctis' heart sunk. So she would try to forget him?

"Why not?"

"I have a better one in mind."

Noctis was puzzled. "What kind of promise are you thinking of."

Lightning pushed her fist into his back, just as she did to Snow on Pulse. "What if I promise to come back instead?"

Noctis turned to face her. He looked down into her gorgeous eyes. "What?"

Lightning said, "If I can, I will come back. You know, to visit."

Noctis smiled. "That sounds better."

Lightning frowned. "So then, I guess… this is goodbye. For now."

Noctis' smile faded. "Yes. I guess so."

Lightning turned to jump into the ditch. Noctis called after her. "Even if you can't come back, I promise I won't forget you. You are… the most important person in my life."

Lightning's eyes welled up in tears. A few fell down her cheeks. She knew she may not be able to see him ever again. It hurt. She couldn't answer his call. It was too painful. She got a running start then jumped into the chasm.

Noctis whispered, "Goodbye, Lightning. I will always love you."

Author's Note: Fear not, this is not the end. In fact, this in the beginning of the end. You'll find out why in the next chapter!

Will Noctis just let Lightning go? Is something attacking the P.L.R? Will Lightning return home to find chaos? Find out in chapter fifteen!


	15. Chapter 15: Chaotic Homecoming

**Chapter 15 – Chaotic Homecoming**

"Wait! Noctis!" Noctis turned around. He couldn't believe his eyes. Lightning was running to him. "Lightning? What are you doing?"

She caught up to him. She didn't hesitate to grab his hand. She put something in it. She said, "Just in case. I want you to have it." She released his hand. He didn't have to ask her what she meant by "Just in case." He knew. She meant just in case she couldn't come back. He opened his hand. Inside, she had placed a necklace, her necklace. It had a thin silver chain with a lightning bold attached to it. He knew this was special to her. She never took it off.

He looked back to Lightning. "I can't take this from you." He held out his hand to give it back.

Lightning shook her head. "Keep it. It's the least I can do to repay you." Noctis couldn't help but hug her. He wrapped his arms around her as if she would slip away if he loosened his grip. And she would, she was getting ready to go.

Lightning broke their hug. "Thank you, Noctis. For everything."

How much Noctis wanted to tell her how he needed her, how she should stay with him, but he couldn't ask her that. He couldn't tell her to abandon her home for him. He knew he shouldn't be sad. He was losing her, but at least she will be happy.

Lightning turned around. "Goodbye." Her voice quivered.

She ran off before he could answer. She didn't want to hear it. She was torn apart as it is. Hearing him tell her goodbye was enough already. She came back to give him her necklace because of what he said. She heard him say it; He loved her. He admitted it. Lightning couldn't bring herself to accept it at first, but she couldn't just walk away from that. Giving up her necklace was a small price to pay to hear his voice one last time. She never turned back as she went back to the portal. She didn't want to hurt any more than she already did.

Noctis trudged into his ballroom from the balcony he had exited from. Lightning was gone by now. And there may have been no chance of seeing her again. Noctis couldn't hear the music. The people's chattering seemed like dribbles of nothing to him. The world was dark. He never realized how much brighter everything was when she was around. Now she may never return.

His friends saw Noctis. They immediately wanted to hear whatever he had done with Light out there. Prompto caught up to him as he was exiting the ballroom. "Hey, Noct!" He stopped in the middle of the hallway, walking away from the extravagant ball.

Gladiolus and Ignis made it to the two guys as Prompto questioned, "Soooo, how did it go with Light?"

Her name was like a stake to his heart. He ignored his friend. He started walking again. He wanted to get to his room and shut out the world. He wanted to do nothing but reminisce in his memories of the one he loved.

Gladiolus caught his shoulder, "Hold up, where are you going?"

Ignis saw something was terribly wrong. "What happened?"

Prompto was concerned as well. "Yeah. Where's Light?"

Noctis flinched. Hearing about her made him miss her more. He couldn't speak. He didn't want to be reminded that she was gone.

Gladiolus saw a silver chain in Noctis' hand. "What's that?" He pointed down to his hand.

Noctis lifted up the metal. "Lightning's necklace."

Prompto asked, "What are you doing with it?"

Noctis answered in a depressed tone, "She gave it to me."

Ignis was starting to catch on. "Noctis, where is Lightning?"

Noctis got a painful expression. "Home by now."

The men's eyes widened in shock. Prompto exclaimed, "Wait, what? You found the portal?"

Noctis nodded.

Gladiolus said, "And you let her go?"

Noctis didn't reply.

Ignis said, "But you…"

Prompto finished, "…Loved her, right?"

Noctis could feel his eyes tearing up. He was not going to cry in front of his friends. But it hurt. It hurt so badly that he felt he would break apart into pieces any minute.

Gladiolus stated, "You look like your whole world has crashed down."

Noctis said, "It practically has."

The three friends looked at each other, hoping one of them had a solution to this problem. Their best friend had just lost the one he cared for. Not only that, but he had never grown so close to any woman before, making her very special to him. Losing her would make him more secluded, more likely to keep quiet about his feelings.

The worst part was that none of them could say she would be back tomorrow or the next day. She could be gone for good. They couldn't just get her back, she was at home. It would be like kidnapping her if they kept her at the castle for no reason. She had healed. She had no purpose there. She was gone.

Prompto began, "Noctis, you—"

A loud explosion followed by screams of fear sounded behind them. Something was attacking the ballroom. The group of four dashed back into the boldly decorated room. A whole wall was knocked down. Armored soldiers shot at the crowd of guests. The same soldiers who attacked before; The troops from Niflheim. Noctis formed a barrier with his summoned weapons to block the gunfire aimed for the innocent bystanders. King Caelum rushed to his son. Noctis yelled over the loud shooting, "What's going on?"

"Niflheim is attacking again!"

Suddenly, the gunshots stopped. "Prince Noctis, what a 'pleasure' it is to see you."

Noctis turned to see who had spoken. The one and only ruthless Niflheim army leader, Malum Cladis. "What are you doing here, Cladis?"

The evil man smirked. "I'm here to get the all-powerful Crystal, what else? That, and to get rid of the prince who killed my men. You have always been in the way of our retrieving the Crystal. Prepare to die, Noctis Caelum."

He raised his hand. The troops did nothing. What was he doing? Gunfire and shrieks were heard outside. Cladis wasn't just after the Crystal; he was out to get the whole city! Cladis drew his sword from his waist. "But first, I shall get rid of some of your forces. Ta-ta!"

The general walked out of the ballroom as his men shot at Noctis' shield. He turned to his father, "We have to stop the fight!"

Solis agreed. "I'll manage the castle. Can you guys handle the outside forces?"

Noctis nodded. He was in no mood to fight. He would use all the power he had inside of him to kill these bastards. They had hurt Light before, now they would pay.

Again with the pain of her name. He was in no emotional position to fight.

Noctis waited until the terrified guests were escorted out to make his weapons attack the men firing at him. Within seconds, each one of them were in bloody heaps, not one spared. Noctis and his friends rushed to the castle courtyard and out the gates to the city. It was absolute turmoil. The citizens shouted in complete fear as the Niflheim troops killed anyone in sight. No men, women, or even children were untargeted.

Noctis and his friends did all they could. Prompto had several different types of guns on him that he used to take out foes. Ignis used his throwing knives, along with a greatsword that he used for enemies that got too close. Gladiolus, too, had a greatsword at his side, violently slashing at the Niflheim soldiers. Noctis, obviously used his power to its fullest extent, without losing control, of course.

He was in so much pain from Lightning's departure. His heightened emotions only made him fight harder. He imagined what would happen if the troops made it to the portal, if it was still there. He thought of them attacking Lightning's home, hurting her and her friends. That made him angry. Nothing would interrupt Lightning's happiness back at home. The thought of something harming her made him decapitate a nearby enemy.

He whipped his blades around, using a sword in his own hand to cut down any one who got in his way. He crippled multiple opposing combatants, chopped soldiers to mincemeat, and fantasized what he would do to Cladis once he found him. Why the sudden attack anyway? His thoughts were interrupted by a deafening crack. He looked up. A large building, about thirty stories high, was damaged to the point where a huge chunk was beginning to fall. The innocent bystanders below scattered for their lives. Noctis moved farther away to be sure he wouldn't be crushed. He heard Prompt yell, "Ignis! Move!"

Noctis quickly turned to see if what Prompto yelled wasn't a joke. It was not; Ignis was really under the crumbling rock, getting a child out of the way. At the rate he was moving, he wouldn't make it out in time. Noctis nearly had a heart attack. "Ignis! Move out of the way!" It was too late. Ignis wouldn't have enough time to move. "Ignis!" Noctis, Prompto, and Gladiolus shouted in unison.

Ignis stared at the falling chunk of the building with wide eyes. Noctis yelled, "No!" He was ready to unleash his power. Suddenly, Ignis came toppling out of the dirt and smoke from the rubble. His friends rushed over. They quickly knelt by his side. Prompto frantically asked, "Ig, are you okay, man?"

Ignis answered, "At little bruised, but I'm fine."

Gladiolus exclaimed, "How the hell did you make it out of the way so fast?"

Ignis shook his head, "I didn't just move, I was saved."

Noctis wondered, "By who?"

Ignis smirked, "By a pink-haired soldier."

Just then, several Niflheim troops that were pointing their guns at them were knocked aside. Fire spells swallowed them. 'There's only one person who could do that,' Noctis thought.

A figure was preparing to shoot them from some yards away, but was stopped by a gunblade's steel slashing him down. Noctis whispered, "It can't be…"

Out of nowhere came a summersaulting soldier, cutting down several soldiers on her way to the astonished men.

"Aren't you supposed to be the cautious one, Ig?" Lightning challenged.

Prompto ran to her, "Lightning!"

The other three joined them. Gladiolus said, "Noctis told us you went home."

Noctis tenderly stated, "You came back…"

Lightning nodded. "I saw the Niflheim troops coming to attack just before I left. I… couldn't just leave you all behind to take care of that on your own."

Noctis smiled at the one he loved. "But wouldn't have been better for you if to just go home?"

Lightning sighed. "A wise man once told me, 'The right decision isn't always the best decision. The best decision is the one that follows your heart.'" Noctis was shocked to hear his mother's words. She finished, "My heart told me to come here."

The men happily gazed at their L'Cie friend. She swiftly shifted her blade into a gun and shot a few soldiers coming their way. She asked in a commanding tone, "Who is the leader?"

Ignis said, "General Malum Cladis of the Niflheim army."

"Then we need to find him."

Prompto asked, "Why him?"

Lightning said, "Noctis, you should understand this; take out the leader and the followers have no one to follow. They won't know what to do. That's when it will be easiest to drive them out."

Noctis did understand. Those who don't know what to do on their own take orders. If there's no one to take orders from, then they are stranded in a state of confusion. "We don't know where he is. He ran off a while ago."

Lightning put a determined look on her face. "Then we FIND him." She took off with the guys close by. It didn't take long for her to become a target. She was always being fired or slashed at. As they ran through the streets, Niflheim's forces shot at them, tried to snipe them, used all of their strength to try and slit their throats. None were successful.

Noctis had never seen Lightning fight with her full skill. Since her wounds were healed she could do so much more. She used her AMP to bound high in the air, allowing her to shoot out the opposing troops from near and far. Noctis struggled to keep up with her outstanding speed. He would teleport, but he knew it would slow Lightning down.

Thirty long minutes of running and constant fighting passed before they ended up in the city's common, where helpless citizens were running for their lives from Niflheim's soldiers. Cladis was among the men slashing at innocent people. Prompto panted, "I don't get it. If he's after the Crystal, then why is he out here?"

Lightning said, "It would be easier to kill enough guards out here in order to drive those protecting the Crystal out to protect the civilians instead. That's when he will strike." Lightning shot other soldiers coming their way.

Noctis was infuriated that his people would be attacked for such a reason. He rushed towards Cladis, ready to unleash his wrath. He leapt and attempted to cut Cladis in two but was stopped by the general's sword. Cladis snickered with a triumphant grin. "What's wrong, 'Your Highness?' Getting angry?"

Noctis barked, "You'll never get the Crystal!" Cladis pushed Noctis back. Prompto came up behind him and took a few shots at Cladis. The cruel man blocked every bullet.

Cladis smiled. "Oh, my naïve prince. I already have it."

Noctis' heart skipped a beat. "Liar!"

Cladis' smile widened. He pulled out of his armor a glowing rock. "From my last invasion. I wasn't able to achieve the kingdom's precious Crystal, but I did get a fragment."

The rock started to glow. Lightning's body burned. Searing pain flowed into her veins. She yelped, falling to her knees. Noctis' powers scorned her, the effects even weakened after she was exposed to it long enough. But this was the real thing. The true Crystal itself would hurt even worse. To the heroes' surprise, Cladis said, "It appears that a L'Cie has come from the other side."

They stared at their enemy in shock. Ignis said, "Impossible. Even you know they're a myth." Hopefully his charade would fool the thief.

Cladis chuckled. "Then why is your friend in pain? How did she use magic? That's right, I saw her use it. Also, what is the whole new world connected to ours?"

They gaped at Cladis. Noctis asked, "What are you saying?"

Cladis' grin dissipated. He angrily claimed, "I know you know what I'm saying! Don't play dumb! That portal, the one leading to Pulse. The legend is real. I know; I saw it for myself."

Lightning's heart was thumping in her chest. The thought of this evil man at her home sickened her.

Cladis continued, "And right by your kingdom, eh? You wanted to rule that world for yourself. Aren't I correct, Prince Noctis?"

Noctis countered, "I planned no such thing. That's what you want, not me."

Cladis' wicked grin returned. "On the contrary, my prince, I already have that too."

Lightning's heart skipped three beats. "What?"

Cladis said, "I've already sent other troops through the gate and over to the other world. They were instructed to conquer that domain. It will be placed under Niflheim's control."

Gladiolus interrupted, "What does the king want it for?"

Cladis said, "The king doesn't want it; I do. I am not acting under his Majesty's orders. I am following my own. I want to rule that world and this one." Lightning began to panic. Cladis explained, "Before I left Niflheim, I murdered the king." Noctis' eyes widened at his worst fear. He would never want to be murdered by his own people. Cladis concluded, "When I took the king's life, I set out here to take your Crystal. Then that other world. Eventually, everything will be mine. And if I have to kill everyone on the other side of that portal for me to take that land, then so be it. I will even go do it myself."

That was it. Lightning snapped. She arose, despite the agony it brought her. She shot at Cladis' hand, forcing the Crystal fragment to slip from his clutches. As he scrambled for it, Lightning bolted away from him. She was heading for the portal. She had to protect her home. 'Serah,' She thought. 'Please be safe. And let Fang, Sazh, Snow and everyone else be okay. I won't let any of you die. Not ONE of you!'

Noctis followed Lightning. He ran at full speed to stay close. His friends were not too far behind. Gladiolus yelled, "Where are we going?"

Noctis responded, "The portal."

Prompto said, "What? But we have to defend the kingdom! We can't just leave!"

Noctis said, "If Cladis is going there like he says, it is more likely that our forces can stop Niflheim's. Not only that, but Lightning came back in order to help us. We can't just leave her to fend for herself!"

He had a point. She could have gone home earlier to help her friends. But instead she helped them. This wasn't even her own country, let alone world. Even so, she stayed to help total strangers. They couldn't turn their back on her now. Not after that.

They reached the outskirts of the city, listening to the loud cries and crashes of the fight. Lightning's mind was too preoccupied to hear anything other than her thoughts. She begged her legs to run faster so she could reach her friends. The ditch came into view. Her heart beat faster. She was so close. She prayed that Cladis was lying when he said there were troops invading. She couldn't bear to watch her friends suffer for her falling into a new world. It would be all her fault.

Lightning jumped down, stumbling onto her feet at the bottom. She was so nervous that she couldn't even walk without clumsily tripping. Ignis called to his friends, "Are we sure we're ready for this?"

Noctis said, "It doesn't matter! Let's just go!" Lightning disappeared through the portal. Taking a deep breath, Noctis closed his eyes and jumped through.

Lightning expected the dark tunnels of the Mah'habara to greet her. Instead, the soft, lush grass comforted her fall as she tumbled to the ground, Noctis, Ignis, Prompto, and Gladiolus following. She didn't care to wonder how the portal moved. The only thing she could see was New Bodhum in front of her.

Noctis stood. He saw Lightning just staring ahead. He turned his head to see what she was looking at. The sight was horrible. A small town next to the beach with what seemed to be a lot of people around buildings that were nothing compared to the skyscrapers back at the city. But that wasn't the worst part; most of it was up in flames. People ran and shouted from armored troops. Men in uniform relentlessly tried to protect the civilians, many losing their lives in the effort. Monsters he had never seen before attacked anyone around them. What hurt him the most was the look on Lightning's face. She was devastated. She finally got to come back home, but to what? A full scale invasion, the leader out for blood, and lots of it.

The other guys stood to see the same thing. Gladiolus wondered, his voice distant, "Are we on…"

Ignis finished, "Pulse."

Lightning awoke from her trance and started furiously running to the small town. She reached it in about a minute, but the attack was far worse close up. Now you could see the terror in people's eyes as the unknown assailants killed anyone who was not on their side. Lightning seemed to be looking for something. She frantically swiveled her head in all directions. Noctis asked, having to shout over the commotion, "What are you looking for?"

She didn't answer. She ran up a nearby hill. Once at the top, Noctis saw it was a huge base. A sign in front read, "Pulse Life Restoration Facility. To rebuild our lives anew." The hill led to the building, but off to the side was the edge of a two hundred foot drop. The hill looked to be the only way up to the base. Lightning stood there, starting at the town in smoke. Noctis walked to her side. "Lightning, I—"

"This is all my fault." She said, her voice distant. Noctis became puzzled. "I lead them here. They're here because I gave them the chance to."

Gladiolus said, "It's not your fault." He took her shoulder. "There's no point in blaming yourself now. We have to—"

"Look out!" Prompto pushed Lightning down. Above her head, a wyvern latched its claws to Prompto's shirt. It lifted him in the air. "Prompt!" They yelled.

Before anyone could blink, Prompto's shirt fell from the wyvern's talon. He started to plummet down the cliff. "No! Prompt!" Noctis shouted.

Suddenly, a stone flew into the air high above their heads. A voice with an accent shouted at them, "Shoot it!"

Lightning knew exactly what was going on. Before the boys could comprehend who had spoken, Lightning drew her gunblade. She shot the stone that was flung. Dark clouds formed in its place. A figure ran past them. The blue blur ordered, "Light, jump!" Without another word, Lightning ran beside the newcomer and leaped off of the cliff's edge.

Noctis' heart couldn't take watching his beloved falling off of the cliff. "Lightning!" He took a few steps forward. He was stopped by another young girl with a similar accent to the one they heard earlier. "It's okay! She'll be fine," The red haired girl said. She looked up and smiled. "Just take a gander at them."

Noctis walked to the edge. Big mistake. A few seconds later, a winged creature flew past his head, going towards Prompto, Lightning, and the mysterious helper. 'What the hell was that?'

Moments later, the beast sprang upward, its wings spread far apart. It growled loud enough for the whole universe to hear. Off of its back came a startled Prompto, followed by Lightning. The girl who stopped Noctis ran up to Lightning. She planted a huge hug on her. She cried, "Lightning! I'm so sorry! I can't believe your back!"

Lightning stepped back to look into the young girl's eyes. "It's okay Vanille, I'm here."

Prompto came back to his companions. "Isn't Vanille the name of one of her friends?"

No one could answer. More Niflheim troops came their way. Noctis prepared to fight. He never got the chance. The winged monster flew to them, chasing them off. The one in blue from earlier landed on the ground in front of them. She spoke while standing. "Well, what a sweetheart he is."

Now that Noctis heard the accent a second time, he recognized it. "Fang?" Was it the one from the cave?

The blue robed woman with a long red spear and dark brown hair flowing down her shoulders turned to them. "Well now, look who's here." She walked to Lightning. Lighting stared back at her. Fang brought up her hand. She slapped it across Lightning's face. Everyone there jumped. Fang sighed. "You're right. Hitting people doesn't make you feel any better. Especially when you're so happy to see them."

Lighting smiled. She was home. The boys gathered behind Lightning. More troops headed their way. Fang readied her spear. "Looks like we'll have to save the introductions for later. Let Vanille and I handle this one, Light."

Vanille brought up her rod. She ran up next to Fang as she twirled her spear. "This will be fun," Fang said with a grin. The two pounced. Noctis wasn't surprised that Fang was so rough with her opponents, but he didn't expect Vanille to put up such a fight. She casted magic at them, forcing them all to step back in order to avoid the elements. Fang stabbed her spear through several soldiers' chest before cutting through any other in range. Vanille finished the wave by launching a large fireball that exploded after reaching the foes.

Fang wooted. "That's more I like it!"

"Uh-oh!" Vanille pointed to more soldiers coming.

"Damn it! Where are you all coming from?"

A boomerang flew out of nowhere. It stuck into the ground with what seemed to be the handle pointing to the sky. A summersaulting boy with silver hair followed, knocking down multiple enemies on his way to his weapon. He looked up. His face brightened when he saw Lighting. "Light! You're okay!"

"Hope!" She called back. Gunshots fired in the background. Gladiolus and Ignis looked to Prompto. He said, "Wasn't me."

"Damn! I'm too old for this crap!" A black man with a green coat and afro came into view. He started to run towards his allies. "Soldier girl!" He called after Lightning. She gave him a glare. "Thanks, Sazh."

One of the walls burst open from the base. Out walked a blonde, tall man with a trench coat holding a machine gun in one hand. "Geez, even heroes get tired, you know!" He came out of the smoke. His eyes widened at Lightning. "Sis!"

"Snow." Lightning sounded relieved. As more troops made their way to them, Snow said, "Hope, Sazh, let's go. Vanille, Fang and Light, you guys stay back." He put on an arrogant face. "Let the men handle this one."

Fang took a few steps back. "Whateva, 'hero.'"

Vanille giggled. As the new L'Cie approached danger, Snow remarked, "Let's just get this over with. Heroes have got a lot on their list."

Sazh shot out to the crowd. Hope threw his spells at them, still using acrobatic moves Lighting taught him. Snow punched and kicked all that got in his way. He casted mostly ice spells. Must have been his 'thing.' With a warning, Snow pulled out a grenade from his coat. "Everybody get out of the way!" He chucked it into the men, causing a loud explosion to take place. Sazh held his back as he jumped back. "Ow! My back!"

Vanille encouraged, "Keep it together, Pops!"

One last wave was coming. As if the man teleported, he flipped and juggled his sword around as he struck down many men. He landed perfectly on his feet. His battle stance was similar to Lightning's. Lightning muttered, "Trinko."

Her teacher turned, "Ah, so you've finally arrived, my protégé." His joy was short lived. Without another word, he performed moves like the ones Lightning did. He flipped to kick his enemies away, slashed is sword through the unknown attackers, tripping most of their forces, a slight grin on his face the whole time. Once they all were defeated, he ran back to the crowd that had formed.

The first thing he said was, "Okay, one of you has to be Noctis, right?"

The L'Cie all turned Noctis, Prompto, Gladiolus, and Ignis. Noctis spoke up. "That would be me."

Fang stepped over to face him. "So you're the one who helped our friend here, huh?"

He nodded. She stuck her spear at his neck. "Then you should be the one who can tell me who's attacking us here."

Ignis intervened, "They are soldiers from a country in our world called Niflheim."

Fang lowered her spear. "Okay then, what are they attacking here for?"

Gladiolus said, "The general, Malum Cladis, wants to take over this world along with ours."

Hope said, "That's ridiculous! What makes him think he could do that?"

Noctis said, "With his fragment, he can."

Sazh asked, "Fragment?"

Prompto explained, "The legend speaks of crystals here, right? Ones that are powerful and all? Well, he got a fragment of the crystal from Noctis' kingdom. It can grant him power that most would think was on the same level as a god's. And it hurts L'Cie. I would watch out if I were you guys."

Trinko jumped in. "Well, our conclusion is obvious. We all have to work together in order to beat this Cladis guy." He smiled. "But first we have to learn each other's names. I'm Trinko, Lightning's combat teacher."

Prompto nodded. "Light told me about you." Noctis felt a little jealous of his friend.

Vanille stepped up. "Oerba Dia Vanille of Gran Pulse. Call me Vanille."

Hope came up behind her. "Hope Estheim, Lightning's student."

Next came Sazh. "Sazh Katzroy, the old man of the group. Nice to meet you."

Snow was after. "Snow Villiers, Light's brother-in-law."

Fang was last. "Oerba Yun Fang, Commander of the Pulse Life Restoration and practically the one who runs things around here. Call me Fang."

Prompto said, "The name's Prompto."

Ignis was next. "Ignis, at your service."

"Gladiolus, here to help."

Noctis timidly nodded. "Noctis Caelum. Prince of the last Crystal kingdom."

Prompto teased, "You forgot your middle name, Lucis."

Noctis glared at him. He was never fond of his middle name.

Lightning suddenly turned to Snow. "Where's Serah?"

"I was hoping you knew!"

A cry for help was heard below. A girl with pink hair and a side ponytail was running from an armored man. That man was the general himself. Prompto yelled, "It's Cladis!"

Snow shouted, "It's Serah!"

Lightning dashed off to Serah's aid. The rest of her friends were close behind, ready for action. Cladis got Serah to trip, forcing her to cower away. He raised his sword for the kill. Fang stepped in just in time to block his blade with her spear. "Well, that was close."

Cladis pushed her off, making her jump back. He spotted Noctis. "Nice of you to join us, Your Highness."

Noctis growled. Cladis pulled out the Crystal fragment. "Which one of you are L'Cie?"

The fragment glowed. Fang, Vanille, Snow, Sazh, Hope, and Lightning gripped their brands in pain. Serah stood there, afraid of what was happening. She was half relieved her sister was back, but frightened by what was going on. "Well," Cladis said, "Looks like I've found all of those I need to get rid of first."

An arrow hit his shoulder, causing him to curse. He looked to Serah. Her bow was raised, pointing at him. "You little bitch!" He approached Serah again. He hit her bow out of her hands. Serah yelped in fear.

Snow yelled, "Serah!"

Lightning quickly took a grenade from Snow's pocket. She threw it at Cladis. His blade was just barely beginning to come down when the smoke bomb went off. A thick cloud of smoke caused all of them to avert their eyes. Once they looked back, Serah came tumbling out of the black smog. Snow caught her. Serah held on to Snow tightly. He asked, "Where's Light?"

Hope said in a quivering voice, "Guys… that's blood."

The rest looked to where Lightning had thrown the bomb. The smoke cleared. Noctis whole heart shattered as he saw Cladis' blade through Lightning's stomach.

To be continued.


	16. Chapter 16: Will to Fight

**Chapter 16 – Will to Fight**

Chapter 16 – Will to Fight

Noctis' whole body was frozen. He just stood there, watching Cladis chuckle, "How pathetic."

Serah cried, "Lightning! Lightning!" Cladis forced Lightning back. She groaned as the sword slid out of her torso. She fell to the ground, unable catch herself. Serah broke away from Snow. She ran to Lightning's side. "Lightning! Please, say something! Anything!" She lightly shook her sister as she lay motionless. "Lightning!"

No response.

Snow stood. He started for Cladis. "You bastard!" Snow readied himself to punch him, but was stopped by Cladis holding the Crystal fragment to him. Snow growled as he fell down to his knees. Cladis delivered a hard kick to Snow's chest, sending him flying several feet back. Cladis turned back to Lightning and Serah. "Now," He said, "Why don't I finish this properly?" Cladis approached Lightning and Serah. He began to raise his sword to issue the final blow. Serah shrieked and covered her head with her arms. Lucky for her, Fang moved over to block his blade just in time. "Let's not be too hasty now," She said, a slight grin tugging at her lips.

Cladis used the Crystal to weaken her again. Fang's strength faded as the pain flew through her body, especially her right shoulder. She could feel her spear slipping. When the force from her lance was released, Cladis slashed it back, cutting a deep gash into her right shoulder. Fang stumbled back, catching her balance by leaning on her spear. Cladis wore a smile now. "Looks like I win this match."

Fang responded while flipping her spear into her left hand, "Not exactly. You have to be a little ambidextrous to wield a lance." Her shoulder dripped red liquid down her torso, arm, and legs. "I may not be able to use my arm, but can still fight."

Vanille ran up beside her. "I will too!"

Sazh came next to Vanille, "We all can." Hope and Snow joined them. Trinko walked over. "And I can't leave the youngsters to do all the work." Prompto moved over to them as well, loading his shotgun. Gladiolus and Ignis became part of the group shortly. Noctis, however, went past them to Serah and Lightning. He knelt down beside them. He whispered to Serah in a shaky voice, still in shock of Lightning's state, "Don't worry, I can help her."

Serah stared at him. 'That voice…" Serah asked, "Are you Noctis? The one who took care of my sister?"

Noctis nodded. "Yes, and I can still save her. I just—"

"I wouldn't count on that," Cladis interrupted.

Trinko challenged, "What makes you think so?" He didn't know if Noctis could really save her. All he knew was that Lightning trusted Noctis. Therefore, he was an ally in his book.

Cladis snickered. "Isn't it obvious? I hold in my hand a piece of the final Crystal. If I can concentrate enough, I can manipulate its powers. For example…" With a flash, Cladis was gone in milliseconds.

Noctis didn't wonder where he went like the others did. He knew exactly what was going to happen. Noctis quickly turned around, summoning three blades. They appeared in front of him, forming an X cut in half, somewhat like an asterisk. They collided with Cladis' blade. He used the Crystal's power to teleport, just as Noctis could.

Cladis said, "Well played, my prince."

The others stood in shock. All but Prompto, Ignis, and Gladiolus, who had witnessed Noctis' power before, was surprised that he knew exactly what Cladis was going to do. Cladis told Noctis in a mocking tone, "Now why don't you step aside and let me end this weakling's life?" He nodded to Lightning. She was losing blood fast. Noctis was running out of time to heal her.

Noctis, outraged by Cladis' insult to Lightning, growled, "You will never touch her!"

"Oh really? Why is you care so much? You look angry for my insult towards this pitiful L'Cie." Noctis didn't answer. Realization came over Lightning's friends' faces. Snow thought, 'Does he… have feelings for Light?'

Cladis finally said, "Ah! I see. You've gotten a soft spot for this one, haven't you?" Noctis continued the silence. Cladis burst out into laughter. "This is rich! When did this become some soap opera?"

Noctis' blood began to boil. He knew he loved Lightning. He needed her. He couldn't live without her. Those feelings were accompanied by his wanting of her safety and happiness. If this bastard was going to endanger either one of those things, Noctis swore he would slice him to bits. He already planned to for what he did.

A gunshot sounded behind him. Noctis turned around. Lightning had risen on to her knees. She clutched her would as she panted, her gun pointed at Cladis. Her breathing was heavy. Her hand trembled as she held up her saber. Noctis immediately turned to Lightning and tried healing her again. The other former L'Cie flinched from his power. 'I see,' Noctis thought. 'The Crystal's power hurts more when it is directed to them. Being near it doesn't hurt as much.'

Vanille took Fang's shoulder and used her cure magics to mend her cut. Before she finished, Cladis said, "You all should see that your defeat is inevitable."

Noctis was half finished with healing Lightning's wound when she pushed his hand away. She shakily stood. "Maybe it is unavoidable," She said. Noctis and Serah stood up with her while helping her keep her balance. "Even so, I'm not going down without a fight." She moved into her battle stance. All of her allies did the same.

Cladis scoffed, "So I find a world that can be mine to take and L'Cie, of all things, get in my way."

Fang, with her still bleeding shoulder, stepped forward. "You want L'Cie? Well you're gonna get 'em!" She summoned a stone from her shoulder. "Bahamut!" She threw it into the air. It flew high into the sky on its own. Just as before, black smoke formed around where it went. Then the flying beast came out again. It came up behind her, looking ready to fight. Fang said, "You know what to do!"

Snow shouted, "Let's settle this L'Cie style! Shiva!" He pulled a similar stone from his arm, crushed it in his hands, and released two mechanical looking women, both shrouded in ice. "Show 'em how it's done!"

Sazh threw another and shot it. A blast of fire came from behind him. A tall figure as red as magma stood by his side. "There you are, Brynhilder. 'Bout time you showed up."

Hope took another glowing stone from his arm. He yelled, "Alexander!" Glyphs formed on the ground he was standing on. A golden figure parted the clouds above, falling down to land beside the young man, creating a stirring up of dust and dirt. "I need your help, big guy!"

Vanille reached down to her thigh. She put a different stone to the ground, saying, "Come on, Hecaton!" Arms shot up from the ground around her, engulfing her in a circle. A light lifted her up, allowing a thin human looking figure come up from the soil. Vanille landed in front of it. She turned around and said, "Let's go, Hecaton!"

Gladiolus said, "No way…"

Ignis said, "Eidolons?"

Trinko pouted, "Don't I feel left out."

Noctis saw a flash of light come from Light. Surprised, he looked over to her. She had summoned a stoned as well. "Odin," she whispered. She threw it high above her head, jumped up, and broke it with her sword. After she passed it, lights appeared below her in the form of symbols and shapes. In the middle of all of it was what seemed to be an awakening armored soldier. Rose petals littered the area, all coming from Lightning's eidolon. Lightning fell from her leap. The eidolon extended its hand up to her, caught her hand, threw her back up again so she could land on her feet. She stood in front of him and ordered, "Cut us a path!"

Cladis looked nervous now. He hadn't expected them to summon. He didn't even know they could. Cladis ran back. He called for his men to take care of them. His guards hesitated, but soon advanced to them. Fang laughed, "Aren't they brave."

Lightning took off towards the incoming soldiers, Odin close behind. The others followed, each one of their eidolons obeying their commands. They fought as they normally did, only their allies this time were huge summons with extraordinary power. Lightning cut down a fair amount of enemies, but it was Odin who swept most of them away with just a few slices. Bahamut breathed fire and slapped foes away with its enormous claws. Alexander launched bombs out to the crowd of unwanted visitors. One of the Shiva sisters attacked the armored men while the other kept Snow in good shape by healing him often. Brynhilder burned anyone who got too close to Sazh. Hecatonchier casted multiple spells alongside Vanille. Serah didn't have an eidolon, but she still used her bow and arrow to help her friends take down the intruders. Trinko, Noctis, and his friends, who will still astonished by the great power their summons had, did their best to fight with the new allies.

Some soldiers strayed off towards escaping civilians. Hope saw them preparing to attack them. He called to Alexander, "Cut 'em off!" Alexander zipped forward, blocking the enemies' way. Hope ran up to them. "Let me on!" Alexander transformed before Noctis' eyes. It went from a towering ally to a weapon loaded barrier. Hope climbed onto him. "Clear the way!" Alexander shot out several lasers. After drawing symbols in the ground, it all exploded, sending most of the soldiers running. Hope ran from the smoke. As Alexander was dismissed, Hope said, "See you next time!"

Vanille climbed aboard Hecatonchier, who had turned into a tank like weapon. It created another explosion like Alexander did, but he and Vanille were caught in the middle. As the smoke dispersed, Hecatonchier held Vanille in its many arms, shielding her from the attack. It released her. As it jumped away, Vanille said, "See you later!"

Sazh was preparing his final attack. Sazh commanded, "Put me behind the wheel." Brynhilder ran to him. It twisted its body so it formed a car. Sazh jumped in while saying, "That's right! Let's do it!" It did several doughnuts before finally stopping. "Eidolons, start your engines!" Sazh sped the eidolon towards his targets. "Let's wrap this up!" Brynhilder formed a cyclone of fire, sending Sazh flying out. The fire burned everyone who was exposed to it. Sazh landed in front of his ally as it left. "Be seeing ya!"

Snow used his eidolons next. He said, "We do this together!" The sisters came together, forming a motorcycle for Snow to ride on. Snow climbed on as it spun on the ground. "Let's ride!" He shot ice all around, making the area slippery for his opponents. Snow pulled on the throttle. "Cool 'em off!" Snow spun around on the vehicle, making pillars of ice all around. They shattered as Snow and the Shiva Sisters landed nearby. The girls blew him kisses. "Nice work, ladies."

Fang remarked to Bahamut, "Let me in on the fun." The levitating beast sprouted wings and took on a shape similar to a wyvern's. It swept Fang up onto its back. "Now that's more I like it!" After a few swooping attacks, Fang yelled to it, "Rain down Hell!" It flew up high into the air. It produced a glowing ball of what looked like electricity. It fell gracefully down to the men. It may have been small, but the power it had was unfathomable. It created a blue explosion, obliterating anyone who suffered through its power. Fang landed on the ground with a grunt. As Bahamut flew off, she complimented, "What a sweetheart!"

Lightning was the only one with her eidolon out. It did a good job of healing up her wound, even though some blood still seeped through. Odin stuck it's blade in the ground. It leapt up. Lightning said, "We do this together." While in the air, Odin went from a strange looking warrior to a noble horse. It whinnied before joining Lightning on Pulse's grass, rose pedals following it wherever it went. She picked up its blade, and jumped onto its back. "Let's ride!" She casted thunder magic, sending bolts of lightning everywhere. She flipped Odin's blade around, using its powerful weapon to clear her way. Lightning found it best to use her most powerful attack. "The storm is here!" Everything froze. The flower pedals stopped falling. Time seemed to cease for a few seconds. She launched herself from Odin's back. She spun around, half of the blade in each of her hands. Rose pedals and streaks of light flung around, slicing away any men near her. She landed shortly. She put the blade back together then handed it to Odin, who was still in the form of a horse. "Until next time." Odin casted one last healing magic on her before sprinting away.

All of the L'Cie regrouped after taking care of all the men Cladis sent out. Fang, with her shoulder almost fully healed, said, "We gotta find that Cladis guy quick."

Prompto said, "I saw his run out there." He pointed to the top of a cliff that was nearby. The winding path leading to its peak was shrouded by foliage, but it was still visible from where they were standing.

Snow said, "Light, you should stay and get healed. We—Hey!" Lightning headed for the cliff. Serah followed close behind. Snow called, "Wait! Serah!"

Serah briefly turned around to say, "I'm not losing her again!"

Noctis wasn't willing to lose her either. He dashed off to them, his sword in hand. The others followed them, ready to end the invasion. Fang was the first to catch up to Lightning and Serah. "Be careful Light. I know you're not going to sit out, but mind your injuries."

Lightning responded, "Shouldn't you be telling that to yourself?" She gestured to her arm.

Fang shrugged, "How about we both not die today?" She smiled.

The rest had caught up to them. Snow asked, "So, what's the plan?"

Sazh answered, "Your usual one; charge on in, guns a'blazin'! What else?"

Snow smirked, "Now you're thinking like a hero!"

They ran up the dirt path, prepared to fight the final fight. Noctis couldn't help but think about how strong Lightning was. Her eidolon was just a powerful. She was injured, yet she managed to fight the hardest out of all of them. His thoughts were interrupted by Gladiolus. "Do you think we can take on Cladis?"

Noctis answered, "With these guys, I'm sure we'll be alright."

Trinko cut in, "With the condition we're in it's still a little iffy."

Serah called back, "He's right. None of us have got much stamina left."

Hope shook his head. "You guys have forgotten what we all were."

Ignis asked, "What do you mean?"

Vanille said, "We were L'Cie, remember?"

Prompto said, "What does that have to do with anything?"

Snow explained, "As L'Cie, we were racing against the clock to complete our focus. There was no time to consider our wounds or how tired we were. We knew we had to keep on moving." Snow's voice became solemn. "When you're a L'Cie, you don't need strength to fight. Not even power or skill. When you are a L'Cie, all you need…"

Fang finished, "Is your will to fight. With just that, you can go on to live another day."

Noctis looked to Lightning. She had once told him to move on and fight for tomorrow. He understood why she was so passionate about it now. She had to do nothing but fight for her life a few years ago. She lived in constant fear of running out of time to live. So she had to keep fighting in order to move on. That was why she didn't give up with her injuries. She still had her will to fight.

Snow lightly shoved Noctis. "Look out!" He punched enemies that had come from another path. They were trying to keep them away from their leader. Fang jumped back, cutting down multiple soldiers. Vanille came back to cast magic on them. Gladiolus slashed his greatsword through some of them. More were on their way, they all knew it. Fang said, "Well, looks like I'm staying behind so you all can take care of Cladis."

Vanille said, "I am too."

Gladiolus said, "Looks like I will too."

Prompto stepped over to him. "Wait, Glad! You can't just leave now!"

Lightning spoke up. "None of us are getting left behind."

Fang said, "We'll catch up."

Hope said, "But you guys could die!"

Fang shook her head. "Then how about we make a pact?" She stuck out her hand in front of her. Vanille put her hand on top of Fang's. Gladiolus put his on Vanille's. One by one, the comrades stacked their hands together. Fang looked to each of them as she said, "No matter what happens, we stick together. All of us. No matter who or what we are, where we're from, what we're fighting for, or how much we all know each other, we will all come out of this together. We all come out alive," Fang paused. "Or none of us do." She shared a serious look with each one of her allies. "On three, we break. One, two, three!"

They dispersed. Fang called back, "All of us come back or none!" Gladiolus, Vanille, and Fang started to fight more incoming soldiers as the others ran off. She taunted, "Come on! Show us what you got!"

The others ran up the path, slowly making their way to Cladis. Hope asked Lightning, "Do you think they'll be okay?"

Lightning said, "You know Fang. She never breaks a promise. Since she promised they'd catch up, they'll be fine."

Hope smiled. Lightning always knew what to say.

They passed another path that led to another direction. They could see that more foes were coming to them. Snow lashed out, sending magic out to them. Sazh shot several rounds at them. Ignis drew his throwing knives, stabbing several men. Snow said, "Looks like I'm staying behind this time."

Sazh said, "I am too."

Ignis said, "As will I."

Serah said, "But Snow!"

Snow said, "Just stay by Lightning Serah." He smirked. "Let your hero take care of these guys."

Sazh said, "That's right. You six can take Cladis. We'll catch up."

Ignis added, "We'll be there before you know it."

Serah nodded. "Okay."

Lightning, Noctis, Prompto, Hope, Serah and Trinko headed for the final stretch to Cladis. Trinko looked to Lightning. "You think you can handle it?"

Lightning scoffed. "Of course. I had a good teacher."

Trinko smiled. This was a bloody reunion with his student, but at least she hadn't changed. "But it looks like you'll have to go without me too." He did a back handspring back into three combatants that had snuck up on them. More were coming. "Go on! I'll be there in a second."

Lightning nodded. She continued on with her friends close by.

Prompto said, "This is it!"

Serah said, "We have to end this now!"

Lightning readied her weapon. "Let's do this."

They rounded a corner that led to the cliff's top. The only thing they weren't expecting was a bullet to go through Lightning. She grabbed her shoulder. Hope shouted, "Light!"

Noctis looked over to the source of the assault. Cladis stood there, holing a gun out to them. "Looks like you caught up." He dropped the gun, letting it clatter as it hit the dirt.

Prompto said, "It's over, Cladis!"

Cladis said, "Unfortunately, it's over for all of us."

Noctis ripped his attention from Lightning. "What do you mean?"

Cladis growled, "The portal has closed."

Prompto and Noctis shared a scared look. Prompto exclaimed, "You're lying!"

Cladis said, "I wish I was. I called for more reinforcements, but they said the portal was no longer there." Noctis' eyes were wide open. "You all ruined my hopes of conquering this place." Cladis grinned. "At least you're stuck here with me."

Noctis glared at him. He was stuck here. The worst part was that he wasn't sure if he could get back. "You bastard!"

"What? Are you sad I shot your special friend there?"

Noctis looked to Lightning. She looked ready to fight. She stood up. "It doesn't matter whether you're stuck here or not. You are not welcome here. So we have to drive you out."

She charged for Cladis. "How foolish. This bitch just has a death wish, doesn't she?"

His comment crossed the line. Noctis lost it. He snapped.

Noctis teleported in front of Lightning. He took her arm and pulled her close to him. He summoned his powers. Blades circled them, spinning around to force Cladis away. Lightning looked up at him. She looked surprised. Noctis held out his hand to command the blades to freeze. They did just as he wanted. Hope and Serah began to run closer. They were stopped by Prompto pulling them back. He knew all too well how wrong things could turn when Noctis used his powers.

Cladis jumped down to the path to escape. He knew that when the prince used his powers it was all over. He had to get away. He wouldn't let his plan fail.

Noctis dismissed his weapons to let the other join them. Hope asked, "What the hell was that?"

Noctis released Lightning. He said, "You guys find the others. I'm ending this."

Prompto grabbed his shoulder as he walked away. "Hold it man! You can't just take them all out now!"

"Why not?"

Prompto wanted to say, 'Because you could lose control,' but he knew that was a bad idea. He let go of his arm. Noctis took a few steps before disappearing.

Prompto started running to the path. Lightning followed him. "What's he doing?"

"He's going to use a lot of power to take down the whole army."

Serah said, "By himself?"

Prompto said, "He can do it. Trust me, I've seen it before. We just need to make sure he doesn't lose control!"

Down below, Trinko was accompanied by Snow, Sazh, and Ignis. They were going to catch up when they ran into Trinko. Snow saw Noctis walking to the remainder of the army that was near the town. He looked to Ignis. "What is your friend doing?"

Ignis swore to himself. Prompto, Lightning, Hope, and Serah came around the corner. Prompto yelled, "Let's go!" Ignis went with Prompto. The others followed them.

They soon met up with Fang, Gladiolus, and Vanille, who was making their way up the path. Fang was confused by Noctis' actions. "What's he doing?"

She didn't wait long for an answer. Weapons appeared all around Noctis, one in his hand. He swiftly moved through the crowd of men, slashing and killing all of them in a matter of seconds. The process was sped up significantly by the other weapons that acted on their own. He didn't even touch half of the men he killed. Fang was actually frightened by his power. That was what it was really like. It wasn't what she had imagined from the stories. This was real. It killed over a hundred men in seconds. Not even a Fal'Cie could do that. The worst part was that she didn't even know it that was his full potential.

They all moved to the cliff's base as he fought off the rest of the men. By the time they reached him, the landscape was littered with chopped up bodies. Noctis turned around to face them. They all saw the change in his eyes; not just the change from his blue eyes to red ones, but he had a bloodlust for revenge in them. Gladiolus warned, "Be careful. If you lose it who knows what could happen."

Noctis looked around, searching for Cladis. "I know."

Ignis said, "You need to calm down."

Noctis glared at him. He wanted to kill that bastard for what he said to Lightning. He would never be forgiven. Lightning walked up to him, her shoulder bleeding from Cladis' shot. "Listen to him! You're losing control."

Noctis shouted, "I know what I'm doing! Stay out of…" He stopped himself before he finished. He couldn't raise his voice at her. He held his head in his hand.

Prompt said, "Cool it. You're losing it." He knew he was losing control if he yelled at Light.

Serah said, "What are you all talking about?"

Ignis explained, "Noctis' power comes from the Crystal. That is where Cladis' fragment came from. Those powers are strong. Some say when a keeper of the Crystal's power reaches the battlefield, it was all over. However," Ignis looked over to Noctis. "Noctis has been provided with an outstanding amount of the Crystal's power. Some think he has been the strongest out of any other person who has borne the Crystal's power. But with all of that power comes a lot of stress on the body. Noctis has trouble controlling his power. He normally loses control when he pushes himself too hard or when his emotions are disturbed."

Noctis stared down at Lightning. He wanted to kill Cladis for her. He wanted to have revenge on him for attacking her home and insulting her. Noctis sensed something nearby. He summoned more blades to cut down trees that were close to them. From behind them hid Cladis, who was trying to use the Crystal fragment to immobilize the L'Cie.

Noctis hit the fragment out of his hand. It landed next to Noctis. He didn't pick it up. He started for Cladis. Fear filled the general's eyes. He knew his time was up. He tried to run. The prince blocked every exit with his blades. Noctis took his fonchier and started to approach Cladis. Prompto grabbed him. "Don't do this to yourself, Noctis! Back off!"

Noctis tried to push him off. He would kill the bastard if it was the last thing he did. Prompto didn't let go. Noctis forced him away. Prompto stumbled back. Noctis raised his blade to strike Prompto. He stopped before he hit him.

Ignis continued his explanation. "He gets temperamental when he losing control, but he's kept his promise to himself."

Vanille asked, "What promise?"

"The one he made years ago. He promised to never use his powers against his friends."

Noctis lowered his blade in shame. Cladis took the opportunity. He picked up his sword. He dashed to Noctis for the kill shot. Fang saw the chance to settle this. She moved Noctis out of the way just before Cladis reached him. She was going to hit the sword out of his hand and kill him there. Too bad she was too slow. His sword went through her chest.


	17. Chapter 17: With You it Stays

**Chapter 17 – With You it Stays**

"No! Fang!" Vanille cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. Snow yelled, "Fang!"

Lightning stood there, staring at her friend. Why was she stupid enough to get herself stabbed? She knew this was out of character for Fang. She wouldn't care enough for a person enough to save them after just meeting them.

Noctis was just as confused as everyone else. Did she intend to save him from Cladis? He didn't need saving.

Fang's spear slid from her one of her hands. The tip hit the ground with a clang. She mumbled, "Damn… I was too slow…"

Cladis smirked. "You intended to get me while I was distracted with him? Well played, but not good enough." He forced Fang back. Her lance clattered to the dirt as she fell. Vanille immediately dashed to Fang. She grabbed her hand. "Fang! Fang!"

Noctis couldn't believe he let that happen. First he didn't stop Lightning from getting hurt, but now Fang was injured because of him too. Cladis turned his back to them. "You're a fool, Noctis." He scoffed, "That power is wasted on you. You could have finished me if it weren't for your hesitation." Noctis glared at him.

"Maybe you see it as a waste. But if it was given to you the world would be chaos."

"Who cares? I want the world to be what I make it. And if that means conquering and killing anything, then I shall do so."

Snow said, "That's sick! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Cladis chuckled. "I am a man who wants power. That's all there is to it."

Lightning said, "A man like you deserves to be locked up somewhere."

Cladis frowned. "And you monsters need to die!" Cladis raised his sword to begin another fight.

Suddenly, the dual edge tip of a red lance came through Cladis' chest. From behind him you could hear, "Thought you… got rid of me… you bastard?"

He slowly turned his head. Fang stood behind him, stabbing her spear through his chest. She smirked slightly, ignoring the pain from her wound. She pulled her spear from him. Cladis crashed into the ground. He lie there, breathless. His time was almost up. Fang's lance fell from her hands. She landed flat on her back, gasping for air.

All her friends ran to her. Vanille sat next to her. She began to cry. "Fang! Fang please be okay!" She looked over to Sazh. "She'll be okay, right?"

Sazh didn't answer. Everyone knew she had little chance, even with their magic.

Gladiolus looked to Noctis. "Can't you heal her? Like you did to Light?"

All of the eyes were on him. Noctis said, "I don't know. Light has been exposed to it more than her."

Ignis said, "That's right. It could work, but it would bring her a great deal of pain."

Prompto said, "But we still have to try!"

Noctis stared down at Fang. He didn't want to hurt anyone else. They already saw how much of a monster he was. He was glad Prompto stopped him from killing Cladis; he knew he would have regret showing his true colors. He was a monster. There was no denying it.

Noctis said, "I don't know if I can." He didn't know if he had the emotional strength to heal her while hurting her. He knew that the power would scorn her even if it healed her wound.

Noctis heard a faint whisper. "Just… Do it."

He looked down. Fang had a serious look on her face. "It was my mistake to pull such a risky stunt. And I'm not going to die here because of it. So do it. I don't care how much it hurts." She looked around to her friends' scared faces. "I've got too much to leave behind to die now."

Noctis was hesitant. "But it—"

"Do it!" Fang was losing time. She wouldn't let this idiot keep her from living.

Noctis looked to Prompto. Then Ignis and Gladiolus. They each gave him a nod to go on. He turned to Lightning. She gestured for him to go as well. She didn't want Fang to die now, not yet.

Noctis lowered his hands so they were centimeters from her chest. "Sorry," He said, his voice sullen, "This will hurt."

Noctis activated his powers. His hands took on a white aura. Prompto, Ignis, and Gladiolus expected her to be in a lot of pain. They knew it would hurt her a lot because of the times they saw Lightning being exposed to it. But the others weren't anticipated Fang's screams. She growled and moaned as Noctis mended the hole in her chest. She twitched while the pain stung her L'Cie body. She dug her finger nails into the dirt. Her teeth were clenched to keep her from screaming.

After a few minutes of her writhing in pain, Noctis withdrew his hands. He didn't want to finish healing her. He knew he needed to save Fang, but hearing how much pain he was putting her in was too much. She growled through a tight jaw, "Didn't you hear what I said? Keep going!"

Noctis returned his hands. For the next ten minutes the valley was filled with Fang's yells of agony. Noctis was glad that at least after being exposed to the power for so long she would be used to it like Lightning was. After he was finished with healing her, he dropped his hands onto the ground. He turned his head to check on Cladis. His breathing had stopped. He was still. He had passed while the episode was happening. Noctis had killed all of his remaining men. It was all over.

Lightning asked, "Will she be okay?"

Noctis answered, "She should be."

"Good." Lightning slammed onto the dirt. She had fainted. By now she had lost too much blood.

Serah shouted, "Lightning!"

Snow went down to Fang. "Grab Light. We have to get these guys to the infirmary!"

Trinko took Lightning. The others headed for the town. Ignis scooped up the Crystal fragment before joining them.

Later…

It wasn't exactly a hospital, more like a nursery for adults. It was small with about thirty rooms and maybe fifty beds. But no more than that, possibly even less. Despite its petite form, it was packed with the injured citizens. Children were being treated for gunshot wounds. Young adults had deep cuts from swords across their bodies. Noctis only wished this wasn't what it was like back home.

Snow and Trinko took Fang to rooms to be treated. A nurse reported that Fang would be alright in a few days, thanks to Noctis' healing power. On the other hand, Lightning's condition was still to be announced. Noctis nervously leaned against one of the walls of the plain hallway. All of their friends waited for them to wake up.

Snow wasn't one to be silent for too long. "I have a question."

Sazh said, "Then just ask it. You don't have to proclaim it to the world."

Snow asked, "What do we do with that?" He pointed to the Crystal fragment in Ignis' hand.

Gladiolus said, "That's a good question."

Ignis suggested, "We should keep it away from you all. We don't want any more trouble with it."

Gladiolus said, "And it wouldn't be good for anyone else who wants to use the power."

Ignis shook his head. "That's impossible."

The others furrowed their brows. Hope said, "But Cladis used it to fight."

Ignis explained, "It isn't that simple. You all recall the brown gloves he was wearing, correct?" The group nodded. "On those gloves he had symbols. Very old ones.

"The Crystals grant their power to the royal families of kingdoms. Although, Noctis' kingdom is the only one with a Crystal now. Anyway, centuries ago, the Crystals didn't give their power to only the royal kings. Its power was free to use by anyone who knew how to use it." The others looked more confused.

"There is an ancient art that uses special magical symbols that draw out the Crystal's power. By using the symbols to draw out the power, they could manipulate it as they pleased. Cladis had one of these symbols on his hand. However," Ignis pushed up his glasses. "The art has been lost. I don't know how he managed to find a symbol to bear the fragment's power, but that's the only way he could have used it."

Sazh clarified, "So an ancient magic that had symbols to draw out the Crystal's power gave anyone the ability to use that power. But that art is lost due to the fact that the Crystal started giving the power to the royals only. So somehow Cladis found out how to use one of the symbols in order to manipulate the power."

Ignis nodded, "Pretty much. It's hard to explain. The Crystal is a complex subject. It would be better to ask the king."

Prompto said, "That's sort of unlikely right now, Ig."

Vanille asked, "Do you guys really think you can't get home?"

Gladiolus shook his head. "No idea."

Noctis looked down. He couldn't believe he just left without saying anything to his father. He knew he had to help Lightning, but he was sure his father would be worried. Not to mention he was leaving behind a whole kingdom. He was torn between his love and his kingdom.

A woman with a low rising shirt and shorts came up to Snow. Her short, black hair brushed her cheeks as she approached him. "Boss!" She seemed worried.

Snow said, "Lebreau, what's up?"

Lebreau seemed very upset. "It's about Lightning."

Noctis nearly shouted, "Is she okay?"

The woman looked down. "She… may not make it."

The friends' eyes almost popped out of their skulls. Serah said, "No, Lebreau, you have to be lying!"

Lebreau shook her head. "She's lost a lot of blood. The nurses aren't sure if she needs a blood donor in order to be saved. She may survive without it, but the chances are slim."

Serah looked down. Tears started to flow down her cheeks.

Trinko said, "No way…"

Snow wouldn't have his wife so upset. "What's her blood type?"

Lebreau said, "I don't know."

Serah spoke up. "O negative."

Noctis gasped.

Prompto looked over to him. "Dude!"

Gladiolus exclaimed, "That's your type too!"

All eyes were on Noctis again. He turned to Lebreau. "Can you take me to a nurse?"

"Sure, but I don't know if they'll let you done any blood on such short notice."

Noctis said, "I don't care! We have to try!"

Lebreau was stunned at first, but then said, "Follow me."

Lebreau led Noctis down the hall to the nurse. Snow stared at them as they left. "He sounded desperate."

Prompto nodded. "He is."

Gladiolus said, "Hopefully it will work."

Ignis said, "It could. The extra blood could help, but I'm not sure what our chances are yet." Serah began to cry again.

Prompto punched Ignis' shoulder. "Way to go."

Hope asked, "So, what's up with this Noctis guy?"

Gladiolus responded, "How he's so protective over Light?"

Hope nodded. Trinko added, "I've been curious about that too."

Gladiolus said, "I thought it was obvious."

Snow said, "So he… has certain feelings for Light?"

Prompto said, "Totally. He has for, like, ever. But he'll never admit it. And you didn't hear that from me. He'd kill me if he found out I told you."

Snow chuckled.

Sazh said, "I didn't think it would happen so fast. She's sort of hard to deal with."

Vanille said, "Don't say that! We should be happy that—"

"I can stand on my own!"

Hope raised an eyebrow. "That sounded like Fang."

They all rushed down the hallway to Fang's room. Fang was inside, yelling at a nurse. "I have things to do! I have to get out of here!"

Snow came over and grabbed her shoulders. "Whoa, Fang! Sit down!"

He and Sazh led Fang back to her bed, where she sat on the edge. Vanille frantically told Fang, "You need to rest."

Prompto crouched down so his eyes met hers. He held up his index finger to her face, pointing it to the ceiling. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

Fang squinted. "Three?" She guessed.

Prompto straightened. He held his finger up to Ignis. "This doesn't look like three to me."

Trinko said, "She's pretty dizzy."

Fang sprang from her spot. "I can't just lay here. I have things to do."

Snow stopped her. "Like what?"

Fang became sarcastic. "Oh, it's not like I have the P.L.R. operatives to command. Or soldiers who need to check for any more of Cladis' men. Use your head Snow! I'm the one in charge so I have to make sure things get taken care of!" She was right. The Pulse Life Restoration took care of most of the business on Pulse. Fang practically ran everything that went on.

Sazh said, "Relax, we'll take care of it."

Fang glared at him. "Ah-huh, sure." She looked around at all the faces. "Where's Lightning?"

Serah looked down. "She hasn't woken up yet."

Fang asked, "What about the other guy? What's-his-face?"

Gladiolus said, "You mean Noctis?"

"Yeah."

Ignis said, "He went to done blood to Lightning."

Fang sighed. "That lover boy."

Prompto said, "See, she saw his feelings without us telling her."

Fang rolled her eyes. "She better be okay."

Noctis sat on the infirmary's roof. He sighed. He prayed that his donation would keep Lightning alive. Prompto came up behind him. "What are you doing up here?"

Prompto say down next to him. Noctis answered, "Thinking."

"You worried?"

Noctis nodded. He stared out to the horizon. The sun was setting now. It had been two days since his donation. Lightning still hadn't woken up. Fang, on the other hand, was feeling fine. "Has Fang's men found a portal yet?"

Prompto became sad. "No."

Noctis sighed again. So much had happened in the past couple of days. He and his friends had helped rebuild some of what was destroyed. He explained what Lightning had done while over at his castle. He sat at Lightning's bed side several times, wishing she would wake up. Noctis always blushed when he thought about his blood running through her veins.

Prompto said, "Fang said she may be able to find us places to stay while we're here." They had slept at the infirmary since they got there.

Noctis responded, "Do you think we'll really be here that long?"

"Think about it. Light was in our world for over a month. Who knows how long we'll be here."

Noctis took out Lightning's necklace that she gave him. He was amazed it survived in his pouch for so long. He gazed at the shining lightning bolt. He muttered, "I just wish she'd wake up."

Prompto didn't know what to say. Noctis was in a lot of pain. Prompto couldn't imagine seeing someone he loved being in such bad shape. He stood. "You know what? Why don't we go talk about something else?" He extended his hand to his friend.

Noctis smirked. He grabbed Prompto's hand and stood up next to him. They made their way down to where Snow, Serah, and Trinko were. Prompto said, "What's going on?"

Trinko happily exclaimed, "Lightning woke up!"

Noctis' spirits were lifted. "She's okay?"

Snow nodded. Noctis had never been so relieved in his life. Snow said, "Serah was going to talk to her first."

Serah turned to head for Lightning's room. Noctis called, "Uh, Serah?" She turned around.

"What is it?"

Noctis could feel his face burning. He stuck out his hand to her. He dropped a metal chain into her hand. "Give this back to Light."

Serah looked down at the chain. "It's her necklace… How did you get it?"

Noctis' face grew redder. "She… gave it to me a while ago. I want her to have it back."

Serah smiled. So Lightning didn't go to that other world just by chance. Fate had sent her there to meet her soul mate. Serah smiled at Noctis. "Thank you… for taking care of her. I'll get it back to her." Noctis scratched his head. Serah entered Lightning's room.

She stayed there and talked for a few hours. The sun had set when Serah came out. By now, all of her friends had gathered around to wait for their chance to speak with Light. She said, "She's okay!" everyone cheered. Noctis felt the biggest smile he had ever had cover his face.

Hope talked to her next. Then Snow, Fang, Vanille, Trinko. Noctis insisted on letting his friends talk to her before him. He had to think of what to say. Prompto was the first to go. Gladiolus followed. Ignis was after. Noctis was the only one left. He had had plenty of time to think, but he still hadn't the slightest clue as to what to say.

Noctis nervously entered Lightning's room. He knew he may get emotional, so he closed the door behind him. Lightning was sitting up in her bed, staring out a window when he came in. She wore a white shirt, since her normal attire was covered in blood. She turned her head to him. Their eyes met. They sat in silence for a few moments. Lightning finally said, "Noctis…"

Hearing her voice made him burst inside. He was scared that he may not get to hear it again. He walked up to her bed. He brought her into a tight embrace. He savored every moment. He took in her sweet scent. He ran his fingers through her silky hair. He cherished the feel of her pale skin. He moved back so he could touch her face. He wanted to kiss her more than anything.

Lightning was shocked by his sudden hug, but she returned it. She gripped onto him tightly, not ready to let him go. She missed his smell. She longed for the sound of his breathing. She felt like she couldn't breathe when he caressed her face.

Noctis moved back so he could take her hands. He sat down next to her on the bed. He squeezed her fingers as he said, "I was so scared…"

Lightning took one of her hands away. She put something in Noctis' hand. He looked down at it. It was her necklace. Noctis was puzzled. "I told Serah to give this back to you."

She nodded. "I know. I don't want it back." Noctis became more confused. She explained, "I gave this to you. So with you it stays."

Noctis smiled. 'Stubborn, as usual.' He pulled her into another hug. He kept her there for several minutes. When he finally pulled back, he kissed her forehead tenderly.

Lightning asked, "Why?"

Noctis was taken aback. "Why what?"

Lightning stared up into his eyes. 'Damn,' She thought, 'his eyes are gorgeous.' She finally said, "Serah told me you donated blood. Why did you? I could have been fine without it."

Noctis leaned down to whisper in her ear. He had to tell her. He cared for her more than anything.

"Because I love you, Light."

Author's note: Let me know if you don't get how Cladis used the Crystal's power. I'll try to explain it better if you don't get it.

Be gentle about the donning blood part. I'm not a doctor.


	18. Chapter 18: Home Sweet Home

**Chapter 18 – Home Sweet Home**

Lightning stared up at Noctis. He said that without any hesitation. He was dead serious. 'He really does love me…' Lightning looked away. She didn't think she should tell them that she already heard him say that earlier. It would pretty much ruin the moment. "Noctis, this is…"

Noctis tilted her chin up with his index finger. "Something wrong?" He wore his dazzling smile.

Lightning smiled back. It quickly faded. "Noctis, this is… going too fast."

Noctis' grin disappeared. He took his hand back. "What is?"

Lightning thought she might give him the wrong idea, but still said, "Well… 'us.'" She didn't like putting a label on it.

Noctis felt ashamed. He practically forced his feelings on her. "Oh… I'm sorry. I'm just happy you're okay."

Lightning nodded. "Maybe… we could start out a little slower."

Noctis' smile returned. "So does this mean we're…" Noctis paused to find the right words. "…A couple?"

Lightning wanted to be a couple. She had never been in a relationship before. She wanted to give Noctis a shot too. She couldn't deny that she had special feelings for him anyway. He was just so gentle, sweet, charming, somewhat funny, not to mention sexy. "I guess so."

Noctis beamed at her. He chuckled. He reached over and gave her one last hug. He said, "I'm happy you're safe."

Lightning responded, "Thank you, Noctis."

Noctis pulled back. "What for?"

"For sheltering me, being so kind, helping me get home, donning blood, what else?"

Noctis stated, "You don't need to thank me."

Lightning insisted, "It doesn't matter what you say, I'm going to thank you anyway."

Noctis laughed. "You're so stubborn." Lightning smirked. Noctis' face started to burn again. He missed talking with her for the past few days. He felt stupid for asking, "Say, Light? Would it be okay if I…" He gulped. "…Kissed you?"

Lightning sat stunned for a few moments. She put on a mocking tone. "You didn't ask me last time." Noctis' face felt like fire at the memory. She laughed at him.

Noctis thought he should use her game to his advantage. "You're right, I didn't. So I guess I don't need your permission now." Lightning quit laughing. "Wait, what—" She was interrupted by Noctis' lips meeting hers. She melted into his kiss. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. Lightning put her arms around Noctis' neck. She played with his hair, twirling the short strands around her fingers. Her soft lips pressed against Noctis' made him dizzy. Noctis broke their kiss, feeling lightheaded from the sensation. He gazed into her icy blue eyes. He brushed a few strands of hair from her face. He tenderly rubbed her cheek with his thumb.

Lightning moved his hand away. "Remember what I said about going too fast."

Noctis let her go. "Sorry. You're just…" He touched her cheek. "Irresistible."

Lightning punched his shoulder. Noctis flinched. "Hey! What was that for?"

"For sneaking up on me like that."

Noctis smirked, "But you liked it, didn't you?" Lightning blushed. Noctis ushered, "Didn't you?"

Lightning punched him again. "Maybe!" Noctis giggled in triumph. Lightning laughed with him for a moment. She calmed down to ask, "Noctis, where are you and the guys staying?"

Noctis shrugged, "We don't know. Fang said she might let us stay at the base if we work for her."

Lightning sighed. She hesitated before saying, "There's a spare bed at my place. You're free to use it."

Noctis raised an eyebrow. "And you said I'm going too fast."

Lightning glared at him. "Don't be stupid! Think about it; you gave me a place to stay when I came to your world, so isn't it fair that I give you one?"

Noctis was feeling iffy. "I guess. But I can't ask that of you."

Lightning said, "You're coming whether you want to or not."

"Is this revenge for my forcing you to stay at my place?"

"Maybe it is." Lightning looked out the window. "You would need to ask Serah or Snow to take you there. I hope you like them because they live with me too."

Noctis said, "I don't know. I don't want to be any trouble."

Lightning shook her head. "I already take care of those two. Adding another person won't make much of a difference."

Noctis asked, "Will you be staying here for a while?"

"Maybe for another day or two. I don't plan on staying still for too long."

"I'll be waiting for you then."

Lightning yawned. Noctis knew she must have been exhausted. She had been talking for hours with each of her companions. She deserved some rest. "You better get some sleep. You're not going to heal up if you don't rest." Noctis stood to leave. She grabbed his hand. "Thank you, Noctis." Noctis tilted his head. She didn't need to thank him so much. She leaned over to him and kissed his cheek. Noctis' face became red again. Lightning released his hand. He took a few steps to the door before saying, "Good night."

"I'm sorry." Lightning barely whispered her apology.

Noctis turned around. "Why are you sorry?"

Lightning said, "I couldn't say it back. Not now."

Noctis knew she was referring to his proclamation of his love for her. "Don't be sorry for that. I don't want to force you into anything. Just do me a favor and get some sleep, okay?"

Lightning said, "Fine."

Noctis turned out the lights. He gently shut the door on his way out. He practically floated down the hall to a sitting room for guests. He didn't even to get to see who was in there before he was thrown into a headlock. Gladiolus taunted, "So, Noct, what did you guys talk about?"

Noctis shook away. "None of your damn business!"

Gladiolus got a mischievous look, "Oh, so there wasn't any talking. Did you guys make ou—"

"Glad!" Noctis took a swipe at his face. He laughed like a hyena.

Noctis looked around the room. Snow and Serah sat on a small couch. Fang leaned against an armchair on the other side of the room. Ignis and Prompto were across from Snow and Serah on another couch. Fang stepped away from the chair. "Okay, calm yourselves. We need to settle some business." Noctis leaned against the wall to listen.

Fang began, "First, we need to meet tomorrow to discuss what we're going to start rebuilding. Then we have to take account of those who have been injured or died. And I'm sure the citizens want an explanation for the attack, so we'll need to come up with an answer. Lastly…" She looked to Noctis, Ignis, Gladiolus, and Prompto, "What are we going to do with you guys? You're trapped here because you helped us. We're not going to leave you on your own after that."

Ignis suggested, "Your earlier recommendation was fair."

Fang nodded. "So you want to work for me in exchange for a place to stay? I'm fine with that, but I'll warn you, it's a tough job. Not only that, but you'll earn the wages of any average soldier. No special treatment."

Serah said, "Oh, wait. Noctis, did Light tell you her offer?"

Prompto's face lit up. He knew he could use this to tease Noctis. "What offer?"

"Nothing." Noctis glared at him.

Serah frowned. "You're not interested?"

Noctis did his best to refrain himself from punching Prompto in the face, "I just didn't want to talk about it in front of them." He shot an angry glance at his friends.

Fang jumped in. "What exactly are we talking about here?"

Snow agreed, "Yeah, I'm pretty lost too. Serah, what did Light offer to him?"

Noctis felt his face turn beet red as Serah explained, "Well, because Noctis gave Light a place to stay in his world, she asked him if he wanted to stay with us in exchange."

Gladiolus laughed, "You lucky bastard!"

Fang said, "I won't stop you, lover boy."

Ignis merely nodded in approval. Prompto exclaimed, "Take the offer!"

Noctis stuttered, "W-Why should I? I can take care of myself. I don't need them to."

Prompto shook his head excitedly. "That's not the point! How often does a guy get the chance to live with his girlfriend?"

Noctis growled, "She's not my—" He stopped. He couldn't deny the fact that they weren't together now.

Gladiolus asked, "Why'd you stop? You go on a tirade whenever we bring the girlfriend thing up."

Serah and Fang giggled. They knew why he couldn't continue just by the look on his face. Ignis smirked with them. Snow soon realized it. "No way!"

Prompto and Gladiolus understood. They said in unison, "She IS your girlfriend!" The whole room was filled with laughter. Noctis was the only one not having fun. Prompto suddenly froze. He turned to Ignis. He pointed his finger while saying, "I told you so!"

Ignis said, "Damn, I was hoping you forgot."

Prompto yelled, "That's 5,000 gil!"

Snow asked, "You guys put a bet on it?"

Prompto explained, "Yeah, I thought it'd happen in less than two months. Ignis said five months. And Gladiolus guessed Noctis would be to chicken to make a move on her in the first—" Gladiolus clamped a hand over Prompto's mouth. He finished, "I had full faith that Noctis would be confident when he made any moves!" Noctis was red with anger now.

Fang laughed, "You've got some great friends there, Noct."

Serah defended, "Okay, okay, leave him alone now. We should be happy for him."

Gladiolus stared at her for a second. "You sure you're Lightning's sister?"

Prompto forced Gladiolus' hand off of his mouth. "You're a lot less…"

Ignis added, "Aggressive."

Snow chuckled, "I know right. She beat you guys up a couple times?"

Ignis said, "We each got a few punches here and there."

Prompto said, "We all had hand marks on our cheeks for the first week."

Fang interrupted, "Alright, back to the subject." She looked over to Noctis. "So, pretty boy, you taking the offer or working for me?"

Noctis was appalled that she called him "pretty boy" but let it slide for now. He glanced at Serah, who was beaming at him. "I couldn't ask that from them."

Snow stood, "Bull! We gotta pay you back somehow."

Noctis answered, "You don't need to repay me."

Serah rose. "That's too bad! You're coming with us whether you want to or not!"

Fang informed, "No sense fighter her. She's as stubborn as Light. She'll drag you there if she has to."

Noctis gave in. "Fine, I'll go." Serah cheered. "But," He continued. He looked to Fang. "I still think I should work at P.L.R. That way I can earn some money and not fully rely on Light."

Fang said, "Alright. In a few days we'll test all of you guys' skills and get you some missions."

Snow stretched. "Well, it's getting late. We should all turn in."

Fang said, "Yeah, Glasses, Blondie, Scar, if you'll follow me, I can get you to the dorms at the base."

Prompto said, "It's Ignis, Prompto, and Gladiolus." He pointed to each man as he said their name.

Fang walked out. "Whatever. I'll remember your names in a few days or so." They shrugged to each other before following Fang out. Gladiolus gave Noctis a pat on the back before leaving.

Serah immediately snatched Noctis' arm. She pulled him through the door and down the hallway. "Come on! Let's go home!"

Snow led Noctis and Serah up to the condo's front door. "Serah, you have your key, right?" He patted his coat pockets.

Serah said, "You were the last one with it."

Snow sighed. "Crap. It's probably at the infirmary." He looked around. "Okay, maybe we left a window open." He went around to investigate the sides of the house.

Serah rolled her eyes. "He can be a goofball sometimes. Can you reach above the door frame?"

Noctis felt above the wood until he touched a piece of metal. He took it down. It was a spare key. He handed it to Serah. "Thanks." She put it into the lock and opened the door.

Noctis nervously walked in. To the left of the front door was a sitting room with a coffee table, two recliners, and a bookshelf. A window with the curtains drawn was the room's only source of light. Farther ahead, a living room had a couch with two chairs on each of its sides. A small table with a lamp was next to the couch's left side. Each piece of furniture was facing a fairly sized television. On the wall adjacent to the television was a window with the curtains closed as well. Off to the left was the kitchen. The floors over there were wooden, not carpet. A window was in front of the sink, viewing the soon to be inhabited fields of Pulse. Behind the couch in the living room was a staircase. As Noctis looked around he noticed there weren't many pictures. He wasn't too surprised. He never imagined Lightning liking having her picture taken in a family photo or anything.

Serah said, "Sorry it's a little messy. We've barely had time to breathe lately. I'm glad this part of town survived the invasion."

Noctis wondered, "Shouldn't we get Snow?"

"Oh, right!" She went to the window in the living room. She moved the curtains so she could slide the glass out of the way. "Snow!"

Noctis heard a male voice say, "Oh, yeah, we have a spare, don't we?"

After a minute, Noctis heard the front door open. Snow walked in. "I knew we had a spare. I just wanted to use an alternative way of getting in. You know, to be more adventurous."

Noctis chuckled. Serah said to him, "This way. I'll show you to your room."

Serah led him up the stairs. A carpeted hallway was at the top. Several doors lined the walls. Serah indicated each room as she passed them. "This is the room where we do laundry, this is the bathroom, storage closet, mine and Snow's bedroom, and this is yours." She stopped at a door to the right, about halfway down the twenty five foot hallway. Inside was a twin sized bed with white covers and three pillows pushed up against the far right corner. A nightstand with a lamp was next to it. A closet was on the right side of the room. Another window was on the wall opposite of the door. A wooden chair sat in front of it. There wasn't much in it, but the room was cozy.

Serah walked in. "It's not much, but I think you'll be comfortable in here."

Noctis liked the room's simplicity. Sure this house was a speck of dust compared to his castle. Still, it felt like home. "It's nice."

"The least we can do for you is give you a nice place to stay. It means a lot to me to know someone watched over Light." She looked around the room. "Light's always lived for other people."

Noctis raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

Serah continued, "Well, ever since our parents died, she's given up everything to take care of me. Even when we lived with Trinko she was trying to earn more money to make sure I was able to live happily. Even her occupation was to protect others. She was public security after all." Serah's voice became distant. "She still takes care of me too. She pays to keep me and Snow here. She cooks, cleans, keeps us out of trouble." Serah turned to Noctis. "Hearing about someone watching over her for once means a lot." She abruptly leaned forward and pointed a finger to his chest. "But you better take good care of my sister, you hear me?" Noctis thought she was pretty stern until she started chuckling.

Noctis reassured, "I promise that I will treat Lightning with the utmost care and respect. I will be sure that she is happy."

Serah smiled. "You better. I'm going to turn in. You can borrow Snow's PJ's if you need to. Sleeping in leather doesn't sound comfy."

Noctis nodded. Serah left to go to her room. He sat on the wooden chair. He parted the curtains to look outside. He saw a few people in the dark streets but didn't pay any attention to them. He was far too preoccupied with his thoughts. All of them about Lightning. He couldn't wait to visit her tomorrow.

Noctis, Prompto, Ignis, and Gladiolus listened to Sazh's instructions. Fang had tested their skills two days ago. They were on their first mission as Pulse Life Restoration operatives only a week into their stay. "We're after a flan towards the east," Sazh explained. "It's a fairly easy mission, but be on your toes."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah pops," Prompto said with impatience in his tone. "So when do we get to the ass kicking?"

Sazh held up a hand. "Hold it, tiger. We have to actually get there first." Sazh led the guys to the outskirts of New Bodhum. They were headed in the direction of Cocoon on its crystal perch. Noctis was mesmerized by the pillar. The way the sun made the bluish crystal glisten was astounding.

Gladiolus spoke out. "What's that?"

Sazh answered while looking at the field ahead, "That's our mark."

No tis saw the oozing flan out in the distance. Its red eyes contrasted with its light green body. Sazh drew his pistols. "Let's go."

They each prepared their weapons. They crept up behind a boulder. Ignis said, "It would be best to get a preemptive strike."

Prompto rolled his eyes. "Let's just go kill the damn thing!" The blonde ran from the boulder to attack. He shot at it several times before it retaliated. It reached over with tis long arms. It slapped Prompto's gun away. "Aw crap!" The monster prepared to attack again. Before anyone could blink, fire was casted on it. The beast fell.

Prompto let out a sigh of relief. Noctis looked to see who had saved them.

He was ecstatic to see her.


	19. Chapter 19: A Night Out

**Chapter 19 – A Night Out**

"Lightning!" Sazh confronted the soldier as she approached them. "What are you doing? You're supposed to be resting."

Lightning plainly answered, "I'm feeling better. I'm sick of that infirmary anyway."

Prompto recovered his shotgun as he asked, "What about your wounds?"

"They're healing."

Gladiolus stated, "We knew that."

Ignis pushed up his glasses. "You shouldn't be in the field when you're recovering."

She scoffed. "I said I'm fine. These scratches can't keep me down."

Noctis didn't understand how she believed her terrible gashes were just "scratches" to her. He smiled. She was so tough.

Sazh shook his head. "Ugh, what are we gonna do with you, Soldier Girl?"

Lightning headed for the town. Noctis quickly caught up with her. "So you're feeling alright?"

She sounded irritated. "Yes, as I said, I am fine."

Noctis smiled again. "That's great."

"Why?"

"I just don't like to see you in bad shape. I'd prefer to see you well."

Lightning blushed. "Thanks." She decided to change the subject. "Liking your new home?"

Noctis guessed she was referring to her home. "Yeah. Snow and Serah have been very welcoming."

She nodded. "I don't get why you're working for P.L.R. when this isn't your home to protect."

Noctis said, "I might as well make myself useful while I'm here, right?"

"I guess so."

"Dude!" Prompto sprinted up to Noctis. The prince didn't realize how far ahead he and Lightning had gone. Prompto stopped their advance by stepping in front of them. "You have to see this! It's awful!"

Noctis and Lightning became alert. "What?"

"Come on!"

Lightning and Noctis followed Prompto. By now Sazh and the others joined them. All were curious about Prompto's urgency. He led them to a part of the land that dropped dramatically. They were up on a high cliff that overlooked the valley. Yellow dots were scattered about. Noctis couldn't tell what they were. Gladiolus asked, "So what's so terrible?"

Ignis pointed out, "Those are chocobos."

Prompto exclaimed, "Exactly!"

Sazh said, "I don't get what's so exciting, kid."

Prompto sighed, putting emphasis on the second word, "What color are they?"

Ignis answered, "Yellow."

Prompto said, "Yes! They're ALL yellow!"

Noctis rolled his eyes. "So?"

"It's so boring compared to the ones back home!"

Sazh furrowed his brow. "Aren't all chocobos yellow?"

Ignis explained, "In our world, chocobos come in any color you could imagine."

Sazh looked to Lightning. "Really?" Lightning nodded. "Well, I'd like to see that."

Prompto complained, "All of them being yellow takes half the fun out of chocobos!"

They sighed at Prompto's logic. Noctis was sure he'd pout the whole way back.

Later…

"I'm still not going to send you on missions for a little while." Fang stood her ground.

Lightning grunted, "I can handle it."

Fang reasoned, "But it'd be better if you didn't risk further injury."

Lightning knew Fang was right. She gave in. "How long until I'm back on duty then?"

Fang said, "Uh, probably about a week or two. It's not as long as I think you should wait, but I know you won't take anything longer."

Lightning sighed. "Fair enough."

Fang got a mischievous grin. "That gives you plenty of time to spend with pretty boy." Lightning raised an eyebrow. Fang hinted, "You know, your new beaux?"

Lightning was frustrated, not by her comment, but by the fact that she couldn't deny it. Lightning defended, "Don't call him pretty boy."

"Why not? He is a pretty boy."

"No, he's not."

"Why are you getting so defensive?"

Lightning wasn't sure why she was upset. It may have been because he always defended her. Maybe her feelings for him were still growing. It was hard to decipher right now. "Just forget it, Fang."

Fang chuckled. "I'm kidding… But I need to ask you one thing." Lightning nodded for her to go on. "Light, are you sure we can trust these guys? I'm still a little iffy about Trinko too."

Lightning crossed her arms. "I don't blame you for being suspicious, especially after seeing Noctis' true power. But these guys are dependable and it would be better to keep them as allies instead of enemies. Same for Trinko." Lightning thought for a second. "But watch out for Gladiolus and Prompto. They tend to be pranksters."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Lightning turned to leave the Pulsian. She headed home.

Later…

Noctis strode out of the Pulse Life Restoration base. The afternoon was warm, but not stifling hot either. The smell of the sea filled his nose as he got closer to New Bodhum. He walked down the dirt path, lost in his thoughts. Today would be his tenth day here. After waiting for Light to wake up, becoming a member of P.L.R., befriending Lightning's companions, and going on his first mission, the past week and a half felt like years. But the time seemed to fly by as well.

Before he knew it, Noctis was at Lightning's front door. He hadn't realized he had already pulled out the key Serah lent him. He wouldn't have it if Snow hadn't located the one he lost. 'This is starting to become a routine.' At least Lighting would be home today.

Noctis entered the pint-sized home. He looked around the living room and kitchen. 'Doesn't look like anyone's home.' Noctis went up to the second floor. He prepared to go into his room but stopped. The room at the end of the hallway wasn't concealed as usual. The door was slightly ajar. His inquisitiveness got the better of him. He guessed the room was Light's, but never found it best to snoop around.

Noctis soundlessly peeked through the crack to see into the room. It was ubiquitous that Light was in there. He saw her saber in its sheath lying on her bed. He heard rustling from around a corner. Lightning stepped into his view. Only something was off. She wasn't wearing her usual white top with the cape. After a minute, Noctis realized something; she wasn't wearing any shirt! She was in her black bra, preparing to change! Noctis' face burned. He panicked. He tried to move away quietly, but he was so shaken up that he tripped over his own feet. After he recovered, he heard a voice say, "Noctis?"

Noctis slowly turned. Lightning was standing in her doorway. She now sported a plain black, short sleeved shirt that hugged her body, showing off her perfect curves. She still had her brown skirt and boots on. Her tone was full of bewilderment. "What are you doing?"

He stuttered, "J-just t-trying to, you know…" He scoured his mind for an excuse. "S-see what you're up to."

Lightning leaned against the wall. "I was getting ready to clean up a little."

He flinched when she said "getting ready." It made him think of the episode he just witnessed again. His blush brightened. "Oh, well, d-do you want any help with that?"

"With cleaning? You don't have to do that."

"No, I want to."

Lightning thought it over. "I think I can take care of it myself."

Noctis said, "Don't you think I should help the person putting a roof over my head?" He reached over and grabbed her hands. "And I haven't spent a lot of time with you. I want to take this chance." He hoped his attempt to persuade her would work.

She felt her own face burning now. "Fine, just let me finish changing." Noctis released her hands. She went back into her room. He didn't dare get near the door this time.

In a few minutes, Lightning came out wearing the black shirt and a navy blue pair of shorts that were about as long as her usual skirt. She ditched her boots in her room. "Let's get started."

Later…

Noctis and Lightning cleaned for a few hours. He helped her mop the kitchen floor, wash the dishes, polish the counters, vacuum the carpet on the first and second floors, did some laundry, and even cleaned the windows. Now all they had to do was dust. Noctis worked alongside Lightning as she wiped down the television screen. Noctis liked watching her work. She was so focused. Not to mention when she bent down he could partly see down her shirt.

As Noctis finished washing a lamp, his gaze went to Lightning. He stared at her as she cleaned. He couldn't help himself. She was so beautiful. She was strong, kind, independent, smart, even funny. She was everything Noctis could have asked for in a woman. She was no damsel in distress. His love for her grew every day. He just couldn't rip his eyes away. She suddenly turned to face him. She must have known he was gawking at her. "What are you staring at?"

Without thinking, he said, "The most wonderful person in the universe."

Lightning blushed. Noctis thought it was cute when she got so shy. Noctis put down the dust rag he had and walked over to her. She now had her back to him, returning her attention to her work. Noctis wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed the back of her head. Lightning said, "Noctis?"

He shushed her. "You know you're amazing, right?" He sure switched moods fast. 'Where is all this coming from?' She tried to break away from his grip. "We need to get back to work." Noctis didn't let her go. She struggled for a little bit. He patiently waited for her to give up. She eventually did. She ushered, "Come on, Noct. We still have things to do."

He nuzzled her neck. "Sorry, you're just… distracting."

Lightning started to get uncomfortable. "Noct, remember what I said."

He didn't listen. He thought that if he stayed like that long enough he could convince her to like the position they were in. The only way he could get their relationship moving was if he attempted to get her to like new things. Noctis smirked, "I can't help it."

Lightning sighed. "Yes you can."

Noctis gently spun her around to look into her eyes. "Not really." He leaned down to give her a short kiss. After he pulled away, Noctis pulled her into a hug, letting her head rest on his shoulder. It took her a second, but Lightning put her arms around him. Noctis knew his strategy would work.

Lightning secretly cursed him for getting her into this. But another part of her wanted to do nothing but stay there with him. She felt safe, happy in his arms. It seemed as if nothing else in the world could touch them. "You're acting out of character today."

"I know. I just want to be with you."

Lightning had an idea. "Hey Noct?" He hummed to answer. "If I asked you any question, would you answer me with complete honesty?"

Noctis said, "Of course." He stroked her hair.

Lightning buried her head into his shoulder. If she softened him up maybe he would confess. "Do you mean that?"

"Yes." He rested his head on hers. He played with her hair more.

Lightning smirked to herself. "Will you answer this question then?" He nodded. "What were you doing outside of my room earlier?"

Noctis froze. He stopped petting her hair. He felt his heart jump. "Oh, um, nothing really."

Lightning pushed him back. "Really? Why were you so nervous when I came out then?"

"I was just startled."

She wasn't buying it. "That can't be it. You were stuttering and everything. What are you hiding?"

"Nothing! I wasn't doing anything." He was partly telling the truth. He hadn't INTENDED to see her changing.

Lightning looked away. "So you lied to me then, hm?"

"When did I lie to you?"

She glared at him. "You said just now that you would answer anything I asked you with the full truth."

'Damn. I can't tell her I was spying, she'll be pissed!' Noctis scratched his head. "Well, I came home and heard something from your room, so I went to check. But I realized I shouldn't have been snooping and turned to leave."

Lightning shook her head. "Then how come you were so discombobulated when I came out?"

Noctis came to the conclusion that he couldn't hide it. "Okay… you really want to know?"

"Noctis Caelum, what were you doing?"

Noctis took a deep breath. He quickly told her exactly what happened. After he finished, Lightning delivered a hard slap to his face. Noctis had to step back to regain his composure. "You're really that mad?"

"It wouldn't have been as bad if you just told me in the first place." She crossed her arms. Not only was she embarrassed that he had seen her because she was too careless to close her door, but she was hurt. He couldn't come out and say what happened to her face. He thought it was better to hide it from her.

Noctis rubbed his cheek. He felt pretty bad. "I didn't want you to get mad."

Lightning growled, "How do you think I feel now?"

That struck a nerve. "I'm sorry, Light. I didn't want you to think I'm some pig."

Lightning didn't change. She wanted to forgive him. She just wasn't sure if she should. He started to look desperate. "Can I make it up to you?"

Lightning decided to play a little game. "Maybe." Noctis brightened. "How?" Lightning smirked again. Noctis wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. She uncrossed her arms and put her hands on her hips. "We're officially a couple now, right?"

"Right." Noctis liked where this was going.

"And couples are supposed to do stuff together, right?"

"Yeah…" What was she getting at?

"We haven't done anything since guys' night almost a month ago, and that was with Prompt, Glad, and Ig."

"What are you trying to say here?"

Lightning surprised him when she said, "You have to take me out tonight." Noctis didn't imagine her to be the type to ask to go out. "Why?"

"Because you have to show me why I have to forgive you. What better way to do that than to kiss up on a date?" She had somewhat of a point. Noctis thought she was finally warming up to the couple thing and using the situation as an excuse to go out with him. "You understand that it's not going to be big or extravagant like the fair back home?"

She nodded. "I know. I don't want it to be big. It has to be simple, but still entertaining. Nothing too cliché either. Put some effort into it."

She was really sounding demanding. But that was Light for you. Noctis smiled down at her. "Okay, I'll do it."

Lightning said, "Good. You have to figure out what we're doing and everything. But I'm not going to give you a lot of time since we have to finish up cleaning, so think fast."

Noctis sighed. This was classic Light here. "Whatever you say."

Lightning ordered, "There are some bags in the front room that are yours. Take them up to your room."

Noctis was puzzled. "For me?"

He walked to the room by the front door. Just as she said, sitting on the coffee table were five bags. He looked inside to see what was in them. They were full of clothes, shampoos, shoes, even accessories. He went back to Lightning, who was finishing putting away some dishes in the kitchen. "Did you get all of that stuff?"

"Yeah. You don't exactly have much here. And you gave me similar things back in your world. It's only fair I return the favor."

Noctis approached her as she spoke. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into another embrace. "You never accept it, but you are really considerate. Almost motherly."

Lightning's face became red. "No I'm not."

Noctis chuckled. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."

Lightning looked away. "Yeah, just go put it all away already."

Noctis took the bags and went upstairs. He snuck a phone from downstairs to make a call to Snow. He had to see if he could help him make some arrangements for his night out with Light.

Later….

Noctis waited in the living room for Lightning to come down. She was getting ready for their date. 'Huh, I really like the sound of that: our date.' Snow and Serah were home now. They agreed to watch the house while he and Lightning were gone. "Snow, you sure your friend didn't mind?"

Snow sat on one of the armchairs next to the couch. "I would tell you if he wasn't. Just relax."

Noctis began to pace. "I'm just worried that something could go wrong, you know."

Snow sat up straighter. "Like what?"

"Like… like what if she doesn't have any fun?"

Snow said, "She will. But only if you make it fun. Just calm down."

"I'll try."

"This would be good for her anyway."

Noctis stopped. "What do you mean?"

"Light's been really uptight lately. She's been trying to get back to work at P.L.R. but Fang won't let her yet. So this would be a great way for her to lighten up."

Serah came down the stairs. "Okay, Light will be down in a sec." She looked Noctis up and down. "Do they fit?"

Noctis looked down at his clothes. He wore a black shirt with patterns near the collar. A black jacket covered it. He had on a black pair of pants that ended just above his ankles. Of course, he had black boots with it. He had a black fingerless glove on his left hand, but nothing on his right. All he wore was what Lightning had bought him. "Yeah, they're great." He would never understand how Lightning had gotten his size and style perfect.

Noctis heard footfalls coming from the steps. Light walked into the living room, making Noctis' jaw drop. "Wow…" Instead of her normal attire, she had a black halter top on that showed her bellybutton. It showed a bit of cleavage too. Her ripped jeans complimented her black knee-length boots. She didn't seem to be comfortable. "Light, you look…" He wanted to say sexy but realized it may be a bad idea. "lovely."

Lightning grunted, "Thanks."

Noctis tilted his head. "Something wrong?"

Lightning chuckled. "Yeah, I hate jeans."

Noctis laughed, "I can tell."

Snow felt left out. "Well, you guys can get on out of here."

Lightning glared at him. Noctis said, "Yeah, let's go." He smiled down at Lightning.

Once outside, Noctis took Lightning's hand in his. He guided her down the driveway and through the town. Lightning asked, "Where are we going?"

Noctis said, "It's a surprise."

After small talk and some walking, Noctis took Lightning to the beach. He led her to the shore to walk along the water. He said, "The sunset's really nice, isn't it?" They had walked for half an hour now.

Lightning nodded. "It is."

Noctis excitedly said, "And that's not all. Come on." He pulled her to some rocks on the sand. He let her hand fall. "Hold on a sec." He reached behind one of the boulders. He revealed a wooden basket. "Ready for dinner?"

Lightning gasped. "You made a picnic?"

"It wasn't easy to hide from you when I was making it."

"Picnic on the beach? I said no clichés."

"But this isn't all. I have more planned."

Lightning allowed him to have a chance.

Noctis and Lightning sat on the sand, eating sandwiches and snacks that Noctis prepared earlier. They had spent an hour eating while they talked about childhood stories, interests, hobbies. Noctis learned Lightning's favorite color was white. He didn't think she enjoyed art and music either. But that would fit perfectly with his plan. Lightning asked, "What's something you do for fun?"

Noctis smirked, "You'll see later."

Lightning furrowed her brow. What was he planning? Noctis squinted. "Are you wearing makeup?"

Lightning became angry. "Yes," She grumbled, "Serah made me. She practically forced it onto my face." Noctis grabbed one of the napkins from the basket. He rubbed it against her face. Lightning struggled against his behavior. "What are you doing?"

"Hold still!" Noctis continued to rub her face. "I'm getting the face powder off."

"Why? Do you know how much suffering came with it?"

By now Noctis finished getting the makeup off. "That's better."

"Gee, thanks." Lightning glared at him.

Noctis told her, "Sorry," He reached out and cupped her face. "You don't need makeup to look better. Tell Serah I'd prefer your natural beauty any day."

Lightning was speechless. He had never said anything that sweet before. "Noctis…" He leaned over and kissed her forehead. He stood up. He held out his hand for her to take. "This isn't the end. I've got something else to show you."

Lightning clutched his hand. He took her to a store back in town. What was peculiar was that it was a music store. The strangest part: the store was closed. Somehow, Noctis had a key to open the door. "Noctis, what are you doing?"

He let her inside. "Remember earlier, when I said I'd show you my hobby later?" She nodded. "Well, I'm showing you now."

He went to a back room, where a single black piano was in the middle. It was dark in the room; the single window in it had little light to lend. The sun had set a little while ago. It was almost nine now. He grabbed her hands again. He pulled out a chair that was tucked under the piano. He gestured for her to sit on it. He sat next to her. "I've played the piano for years. I haven't played one in a while though, so I'm a little rusty."

"So what are you showing me?"

Noctis took the cover off of the keys. "I know a song that you'd like." He didn't wait for her to say anything else. He began to press the keys. His hands glided over the polished ivory. He gracefully filled the stuffy room with music. The song was beautiful. Lightning found herself mesmerized by the melody he played. She couldn't believe he was that good. He even said he was out of practice!

After a few minutes, he was finished. He smiled at her. "What'd you think?"

Lightning wrapped her arms around his neck. "It was wonderful." Noctis hugged her waist. "Good enough to forgive me for spying?"

Lightning buried her head in his shoulder. "Yeah. You've done enough."

Noctis held her tighter. "Enough to tell me your real name?"

Lightning thought for a minute. "Maybe."

"Can I at least get a hint?"

"It starts with a C."

Noctis sighed. It was a start. After holding each other for a little while, they left the music store. By now it was dark out. Lightning asked, "How did you get the key to this place?"

Noctis said, "Snow knows the owner. I had him call in a favor for me."

Lightning knew Snow was popular. It wasn't too surprising to hear Snow was the cause. They walked slowly back home, hand in hand. It was pretty late when they got back. Noctis could tell Lightning was tired. He took her upstairs, where they parted at their rooms. After changing, Noctis went to Lightning's room to say goodnight. He anxiously knocked at the door. There was no response. He called, "Light? Are you in there?"

She still didn't answer. Recalling his last experience with looking in her room, Noctis cautiously opened the door. He smiled at the sight. Lightning was already changed into a white tank top and shorts, ones similar to the pair she wore earlier. She was lying on her side, sleeping peacefully. He sat on the edge of her bed. He moved some stray hairs from her face. His fingers lingered on her cheek. He whispered, "Good night, my Light." He stood to leave her to sleep. He felt a tug on his pants. He looked down. Lightning had grabbed him. "Stay here."

Noctis laughed. He sat back down. "You miss me already?"

She didn't respond. Noctis stroked her cheek once more. She said, "Noctis?"

"Yes?"

"Remember that time when I stayed in your room overnight?"

Noctis remembered. It was the same night he told her of his mother's death. "Yeah."

She hesitated before asking, "Will you… hold me like that again?"

Noctis said, "Now you're acting out of character."

"I know… I just…"

Noctis understood. He experienced the same thing when he started falling for her. He laid down next to her, placing her head on his shoulder. Noctis wasn't sure if she was comfortable. "I'm not going too far, right?"

Lightning stated, "I asked you to do this, didn't I?"

Noctis closed his eyes. "Yeah." Noctis craned his neck to kiss her head. She looked up to put her lips to his. Noctis smiled under her lips. It seemed like she was finally starting to accept her feeling for him. When she pulled away, Noctis whispered, "Good night, my love."

Author's note:

I added the laters to you could see time differences. (Obviously.)

I've noticed that whenever I put In a line on word or some sort of symbol to separate that time differences it never showed up, so added laters to make it clear. I'll try to fix it.

Thanks for reading!


	20. Chapter 20: Stealing You  reupload

**Chapter 20 – Stealing You**

Two weeks passed. Lightning was still pushing Fang to let her back onto the field, but had yet to start working again. Noctis didn't mind. He liked coming back from the base to her. By now, Noctis and his companions were making friends with Lightning's. They all got along pretty well, some of their personalities were alike.

Noctis was in Fang's office with Ignis, Fang, Trinko, and Snow. Fang said, "Why don't we get this started. What's our set of reports for today?"

Ignis said, "All the missions you've given us thus far have been completed."

Noctis nodded in agreement. Snow said, "The town's has had a lot rebuilt already. Many citizens volunteered to help out."

Fang said, "And Light?"

Noctis answered, "She's almost fully healed and has been wanting to come back for a while now."

Fang said, "Yeah, I knew that."

Trinko jumped into the conversation. "I'm not exactly a member of the P.L.R. What am I here for?"

Fang explained, "You were the one who discovered that the portal did bridge our world to Pretty Boy's here." Noctis flinched at the nickname she gave him. "So since you came up with that, I wanted to know if you had any ideas as to how we can reopen the portal to get these guys home."

Trinko scratched his head. "It's somewhat hard to say. I based my earlier theory off of the books I read on the legend. But that's the problem; everything I know is based on stories, so I haven't heard of any way to actually get to the portal. I'm pretty sure you haven't either."

Fang sighed. "You're right. I may have known about the legend for years, but they were just stories. There's no way to use the stories' details to get the portal since there was no part of the myth that said there was a way to connect our worlds."

Ignis said, "True, but there must have been some cause to the portal's appearance. It couldn't have just popped out of nowhere. There had to have been some sort of power source."

Fang crossed her legs. "You're probably on to something there, but it's still unclear. Just what could have been powerful enough to create that portal?"

Noctis turned to Ignis. "Do you think it could have been the Crystal?"

Ignis pushed up his glasses. He was silent for a minute. "It is possible, but I'm not sure why it would open it and close it randomly. It's strange, really."

Trinko said, "This isn't making much sense. We need to spend more time thinking about it."

Snow groaned, "Damn it! We've been working way too damn much!"

Fang said, "Welcome to life, Snow. Now that you're all grown up there's no more time for fun. I suggest you get used to it."

Snow said, "You know what, that's a load of bull crap!" He walked over to the window. He looked out to the sea. "We all need a break from all of the fighting and P.L.R business. We all need to…" Snow snapped his fingers. "Go to the beach! All of us!"

Ignis said, "You sure it's really a good time to just take a day off?"

Snow exclaimed, "Hell yeah! There's nothing going on and there's never a bad time to take a break. Let's do it!"

Fang countered, "Who exactly will be in charge of things while we're gone?"

Snow pushed, "Come on, Fang! You can leave the place to another officer or something! The world isn't going to, like, explode while you're out at the beach!"

Fang shook her head. "I don't know, Snow. You'll have to ask what everyone else thinks too."

Snow sighed. He turned to Noctis. "Come on, Noct. Don't you think it's a good idea?"

Noctis looked at Fang. She gave him a threatening look. It pretty much told him not to encourage Snow. But Snow was a good friend now. They were living together, so they got to see each other a lot and get to know each other. He contemplated to himself for a while. "You know what? I'm just going to stay out of this. I'm good with whatever you guys agree on." Ignis nodded as if he was saying he made a smart move to stay neutral.

Snow grunted once more. "Okay then, I'll make a compromise, Fang. If uh…" He had to think of everyone he had to ask. "If Sazh, Vanille, Hope, Serah, Ignis, Prompto, Gladiolus, Trinko, Noctis, and Light are all okay with it, we can all go to the beach."

Fang chuckled. "I'll take that deal. But good luck convincing everyone."

Snow made a fist pump. "Oh, I definitely will! I'll ask them right now!" Snow ran out of the room. Fang sighed. "Even if they do agree, we can't go today."

Ignis said, "Just let him get his hopes up 'till then."

Fang laughed. As they left the base, Noctis asked, "Do you want to go to the beach, Ig?"

Ignis shrugged. "Maybe. Do you?"

Noctis said, "I'm still neutral. Why don't we help Snow out? You can ask Prompt and Glad, I'll ask Serah and Light. Snow can get the others."

Ignis nodded. "Why not?" Ignis went to find Gladiolus and Prompto while Noctis headed home.

Later…

Noctis entered the condo. He heard a news report playing on the T.V. Lightning was sitting on the couch, watching the report. She didn't notice him come in. The prince quietly crept up behind her. He leaned against the back of the couch with his arms around her shoulders. He lowered his head so he could kiss her cheek. She reached up and intertwined her fingers with his. "Welcome back."

Noctis applied loving pressure to her hand. "What are you doing?"

She grumbled, "Trying to entertain myself while Fang is keeping me from work."

Noctis rolled his eyes. "Why do you want to get back so bad?"

"It's better than being like a housewife."

Noctis chuckled. He released her and jumped over the couch's back. He landed on the other side, sitting down next to her. Noctis put his arm around her and pulled her down so she rested her head on his shoulder. He placed his other hand around her waist. "If you're the housewife, then does that make me your working husband?"

Lightning blushed dramatically. It made sense since they were dating and all, but it was still pretty bold. Even so, she liked the idea. "Maybe." Lightning cuddled against Noctis' chest. She heard footsteps coming their way. "Aww, look at you guys!"

Noctis turned his head. Serah was coming down the stairs. "I didn't know you were home today, Serah."

"Obviously." She sat down on one of the armchairs. Lightning let go of Noctis and straightened. "Have you guys seen Snow?"

Noctis said, "He's around town. Actually, that reminds me. Snow's trying to convince Fang to let us all take a day off and go to the beach."

Serah beamed. "That sounds like a great idea! We should go!"

Lightning made an annoyed look. Serah saw her. "Come on, Sis. Our group hasn't done anything together as friends in forever. We could also get to know our new friends as well. It'll be fun!"

Lightning moaned, "More like a headache. The beach is always crowded and noisy."

Noctis had a trick up his sleeve. "But if you go, you could use the time to convince Fang you're ready to get back to work."

Lightning hesitated. She didn't like the idea of kissing up to Fang or anything of the sort. But the possibility of Fang being more lenient with her requests was likely. Fang was always kinder when she was in a good mood. Lightning sighed, "Fine."

Serah cheered, "Oh, this will be so awesome!"

Snow suddenly burst into the room. "Guys! I have to ask if—"

Serah cut him off. "We know. Noctis told us. And we want to go!"

Snow was baffled. "Really?" He looked to Lightning. "Even you, Light?"

Lightning warned, "Don't piss me off before we go. I can change my mind at any time."

Snow clapped his hands together. "Of course! Everyone else has agreed, so Fang HAS to let us go!"

Noctis said, "She told us it would probably be tomorrow."

Snow exclaimed, "Oh yeah! I have to go rub it in her face!" Snow left the room as quickly as he came. Serah stood up. "I better go with him in case Fang gets too angry at him." Serah followed him out.

Lightning took a deep breath. She knew this would be a big headache. She didn't want tomorrow to come fast. She gasped when his arms wrapped around her waist. Noctis pulled her close to his body. "Now, where were we?"

Lightning giggled nervously. "You're being bold today."

Noctis rubbed the tip of his nose with hers. "You don't mind, do you?" The last thing he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable.

Lightning smiled. She surprised herself by saying, "Not at all." She and Noctis had been growing closer every day. She was becoming more tolerant of his romantic moods. She even enjoyed the times he got all lovey-dovey. Normally Noctis would kiss Lightning, but this time she started the lip lock. She raised her head to meet his lips. She pulled away only a few seconds later. Apparently that wasn't enough for him. Noctis leaned in for another kiss. This one was longer, more passionate. Noctis slid his hands up and down her back. Lightning ran her fingers through his hair. Once they were through, Noctis pressed his forehead to hers. He just stared at her for a while. Lightning finally asked, "Why are you staring?"

Noctis smirked. "I like your eyes."

Lightning blushed. "Yours aren't too bad either." That earned her another kiss. They went on like this until Snow and Serah got back about an hour later.

Later…

Noctis sat on the pale white ground, watching Prompto and Gladiolus kick sand at each other. He was uncomfortable in his black swim trunks. He would prefer something that…suited his style. Snow, Sazh, and Hope were around, talking to each other and playing around in the sand or ocean. Trinko ended up not going. He said he had to finally finish settling into his new home, since his was destroyed in the Cladis invasion. Noctis thought he just didn't want to be around a bunch of crazy youngsters. Fang, Lightning, Vanille, and Serah had yet to arrive. The prince sighed. He was a little nervous about seeing Lightning in swimwear. Although he didn't think she would even wear anything of the sort at all.

Ignis sat next to Noctis. "You bored too?"

Noctis nodded. Ignis smirked. "At least you'll be entertained when Lightning gets here."

Noctis glared at him. "Shut up, Ignis!" Ignis chuckled to himself. "Don't look, here they come."

Just as he said that, Vanille was in front of them, cheering, "Come on, lazy bums! You won't have fun by just sitting there!" She had on a lavender two-piece suit with ruffles at the hems. Serah came up behind her. She wore a strapless, pale pink, one piece swim suit that had cuts down the side, revealing parts of her waist. Noctis looked around. "Where's Fang and Light?"

Gladiolus and Prompto joined them. Prompto asked, "Didn't those two come with you?"

Vanille pouted, "Fang and Light don't want to come out. They're hiding over there." She pointed to a shack that sold t-shirts, knick-knacks, beach accessories, and maybe more. Serah explained, "They're too chicken to show off their outfits."

Prompto got an evil look. "Well, we'll just have to force them out! Come on!" Vanille, being all for his idea, followed Prompto to the shack. They were a lot alike. Noctis swore they were long lost siblings or something. After they went around the shack, you could hear Fang's curses at them. Once in a while, Noctis caught a glimpse of Fang as Vanille and Prompto attempted to push her onto the shore. Noctis heard Fang yell words her would rather not recall, scaring away a few of the shack's customers. 'Damn, she has a mouth!'

After a few minutes of fighting, Prompto finally managed to push her out to the beach. She blushed as soon as she walked out. "Damn you all!" She wore a bikini that was blue, similar to the shade of her usual outfit. Green leaves bordered the hems, fitting her tribal theme. Vanille assured, "You look great, Fang! Don't be shy!"

Fang growled, "I hate this! I feel so wimpy and girly!"

Gladiolus said, "I think you look pretty good." A slight blush crossed his cheeks.

Fang angrily responded, "Shut the hell up!" Vanille started pestering her again. Prompto put his hand to his chin. "Gladiolus and Fang? It could work."

Gladiolus became redder. "What? I didn't mean anything when I said that!"

Noctis could get his revenge for all of his teasing. "Face it, you so like Fang."

Gladiolus denied, "I do not!"

Serah interrupted the conversations. "What about Light?"

Fang shouted, "Oh no, you're not hiding while I'm out here! Come on!"

Fang and Prompto went back to the shack to pull Lightning out. She, too, had the mouth of a sailor.

As soon as Fang pushed Lightning out, Noctis' jaw dropped to the floor. Lightning wore a pure white bikini. Its thin straps tied around her neck and back. The front showed off much of her cleavage. The white clothing complimented her pink hair that flowed down her shoulder. She stomped up to them, knowing she couldn't escape Fang when she was as angry as she was now.

Noctis stuttered, "Uh, y-you look—"

Lightning cut off, "Shut up. I hate this." Although, Lightning didn't mind seeing Noctis without his shirt. He wasn't a weakling, but not too built up like Snow. He was… well, attractive. Noctis simply smiled at her. "Just because I'm not telling you what I think doesn't mean I don't like it." Lightning half glared and half blushed.

Snow came over to them. He teased, "You know, Noct, usually guys put sunscreen on their girlfriends."

Noctis imagined the idea with him and Lightning. The sad part wasn't that he imagined it in the first place, but more of the fact that he wanted to ask Light if she needed him to. He liked the idea of touching her body… Noctis sometimes surprised himself with his dirty mind. Lightning brought him back to reality by punching his arm. She obviously knre what he was thinking about.

For a few hours, the gang played around in the sand and sea. It took Fang a while to lighten up. But soon her good mood was ruined. Prompto and Gladiolus had a plan. Fang stood on the beach, watching Vanille play with Serah in the water. From behind a tree, Gladiolus and Prompto whispered their plan to each other. After they were through, Prompto ran up to Fang, making it look like he was trying to tackle her. He had to make it apparent that he was coming. He yelled, "Sneak attack!" as he ran up to her. In a flash, Fang turned and tripped Prompto, sending him falling face first into the sand. She went according to the plan. As she was busy kicking Prompto, Gladiolus had crept up to her. He quickly dumped a bucket onto her head. Water balloons fell all over her, drenching her. Prompto got up and high fived Gladiolus, both snickering evilly. Lightning's earlier warning from a few weeks ago flashed into Fang's head; "But watch out for Gladiolus and Prompto. They tend to be pranksters."

Fang threw the bucket off of her head. "Damn you!" She chased after Gladiolus and Prompto. By now, they realized their prank was a bad idea. They screamed at the top of their lungs in fear. Fang would probably beat them to a pulp once she caught them.

In the midst of the event, Noctis noticed Lightning sitting at the base of a tree, staring out to the ocean. Curious, Noctis approached her. He came up next to her and sat down. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," She said, not taking her gaze away from the horizon.

"Why don't you come out with everyone else?"

She grunted, "Because it's too crowded and noisy. I'd rather sit here."

Noctis brushed her hair. "Your hair isn't even wet yet!"

Lightning swatted his hand away. "So?"

Noctis got a great idea. It may cost him, but he had to try it. Noctis swiftly stood up. Lightning asked, "Noctis, what are you—hey!" Noctis picked her up, bridal style. She pushed him and desperately tried to break from his grip. He had now attracted the attention of their whole group and more. Noctis took the screaming Lightning to the edge of the water. He said, "Sorry, but you gotta do what you gotta do!" Noctis threw Lightning into the water, unaware of how light she really was. She flopped into the water, making a splash. Their friends laughed in the background. Noctis practically saved Prompto's and Gladiolus' asses by causing the distraction.

When Lightning came up, she shot daggers at Noctis through her eyes. She swam back to shore quickly. She yelled, "Noctis!" Noctis ran away from her as she began her pursuit. The others were rolling on the ground, laughing. He kept running for a while. Soon they were far from most of the beachgoers. Noctis gradually slowed down, letting her catch up. When she was close enough, Noctis suddenly turned and pulled Lightning into an embrace. She struggled against him, but Noctis' grasp didn't waver. He abruptly kissed her. But Lightning still tried to move away. Noctis held her tightly, not letting her go. Lightning soon gave in. She allowed him to hold her there. He loosened his grasp to stroke her hair. Noctis ended their kiss, putting his forehead to hers like before. Lightning asked, "What the hell was that about back there?"

Noctis smiled. "You said it was too crowded and noisy back there. So, I had to get you out here, where it's quiet. And…" Noctis slipped his hands down to her waist. He pulled her closer to him. "So we could get some time alone." Another kiss joined them.

The couple sat down at the beach, listening to the sound of the waves. Noctis kept his arm around her. He couldn't last too long without touching her during their time there. Noctis kissed her several times. Noctis recommended, "Maybe we should get back home to be alone."

Lightning nodded. "I agree. Then I can change into better clothes."

Noctis smirked a seductive smirk. "Or you could stay like that for me." Lightning punched his chest. He laughed, "I'm kidding, I'm kidding!"

Later…

They arrived at the condo a little while later. Lightning immediately went to her room to change. With her gone, Noctis decided to take a quick shower. He grabbed a change of clothes from his room and went to the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Soon Lightning came from her room. She took her time getting changed. She was uncomfortable with all of the sand that clung to her skin. She had to take a shower. She looked to Noctis' room. His door was closed. 'He must be changing too.' Lightning didn't hear any water running, so she assumed he wasn't showering either. Without hesitation, Lightning opened the door to the bathroom. She was looking at her hands when she came in, but when she raised her head, her face automatically went red. Noctis stood there, scarlet faced as well. His hair was wet. Water droplets still covered his face and skin. He had nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, and quite low. Lightning shut the door without a word. She hurriedly went to her room.

She just walked in her room, her thoughts scattered. She couldn't get the image out of her head; Noctis without a shirt, a towel loosely hanging from his hips, his wet hair clinging to his handsome face, making him look twice as sexy. She closed her eyes, trying to clear her mind, clam down, anything to keep herself from being so embarrassed. 'Okay, Light. Quit thinking about it!'

Strong arms snaked around her waist. Noctis set his head on her shoulder. "I guess we're even now."

Lightning didn't look at him. "Sorry."

Noctis chuckled. Unlike her, he wasn't angry for her coming in. He found it amusing. He had no idea that she would react this way. "It's okay." Noctis sniffed her hair. She still smelled a little like sea water, but her natural scent was still about.

Lightning seemed surprised. "You're not angry?"

Noctis kissed her cheek. "Not at all."

Lightning turned around to face Noctis. She felt her cheeks flush as she saw he still wasn't wearing any shirt. Lucky for her he put on pants. "Sorry."

Noctis tilted his head. "I said it was okay."

"No, not for that. I got so upset with you for seeing me, but you are willing to easily forgive me."

Noctis smiled. "I'm the one who kidnapped you. I don't wanna ruin the moment over something so silly."

Lightning sighed. "I'm still mad at you."

"For throwing you in?"

"Yes."

"But it was to get you away. You should be happy."

Lightning shrugged. "Maybe."

Noctis understood. She was playing games. Well, if she wants to play, he would go along. "You're not happy?"

"A little."

Noctis leaned down to her so his nose nuzzled her neck. "So how do you want me to make you happy?"

Lightning answered, "Oh, I don't know. Maybe you should find out."

Noctis kissed her neck. He playfully bit her skin, making Lightning giggle in delight. Lightning ran her fingers through his hair. He brought his head up to meet her gaze. He slowly leaned in to kiss her.

The front door burst open. "Lightning! You better not have left us to come home!"

Lightning sighed. "Looks like Serah found us out." Noctis sadly released her. "Better go calm her down." Lightning started for the door. Noctis was upset that they were interrupted. "Hey, Noct," Lightning called behind her quietly before she walked out. Noctis hummed a response. "Maybe we can pick this up later tonight. If you're good."

Noctis smiled. "Guess who's going to be a good boy then." Lightning smiled back. She went down stairs to her sister.

Noctis couldn't wait for that night.

Author's note:

Sorry, I needed to put this on but forgot, so I just deleted the chapter and re-uploaded it.

I will be going on a 1-2 week hiatus. It may be a little less than two weeks, but I PROMISE it won't be any longer. I'm taking a break from updating so I can think of what I'm going to do next, get my thoughts organized, and make my final decision on how I'm going to wrap up the fic. Yes, that's right, the story's about half over already! T_T

I promise I'll be back soon. Obviously, my hiatus will end when the next chapter is up.

Thank you all SO MUCH for the reviews and support!


	21. Chapter 21: Promise

**Chapter 21 – Promise**

Three months passed.

Noctis couldn't believe that it had been so long. He missed his home. He wanted to know what happened after the Cladis invasion. He needed to find out if his father was alright. Most of all, he was just homesick.

But not all was lost. He had Lightning. His friends were there with him too. Not only that, but his new friends had grown closer to him. Aside from his friends, Noctis didn't have to hide anything. Back in his world, Noctis couldn't even go outside without being mobbed by the press. But on Pulse he could go where he pleased. Not to mention that no one had called him "Your Highness" in a long time. He liked being just an average guy, not a socially gifted man.

Even though they still hadn't found out exactly how Noctis could get back, the gang never stopped thinking about the possibilities. Noctis had other things on his mind right now. He and Lightning had been together for over three months. He had to get her something to show her how much she meant to him. But what?

Noctis and Lightning were growing closer. With the money he was earning from P.L.R. business, he could afford to take Lightning out more often. He would take her to the music store and play the piano to her. She liked hearing him play. They rarely fought. Even if they did, Noctis would let her win. There was no sense in driving her away with silly conflicts and quarrels anyway.

Noctis slouched on the living room couch and sighed. 'What would Light want? A hunting knife? No, she may be a soldier, but fighting isn't everything to her. Clothes? Nah, she isn't that superficial. She would just wear her usual outfit anyway. Jewelry? She doesn't wear much.' Noctis sighed again. This would be harder than he thought.

"What's up?" Snow came from the kitchen. "What's with all the sighing? You sound down."

Noctis straightened. "It's nothing. Say, Snow, what is it you get Light for special occasions? Like her birthday or something."

Snow sat down next to him. "That's always a tough one. Normally Serah does all the shopping for that stuff. She's Light's sister after all, so she knows her best."

Noctis said, "She doesn't exactly like gifts or anything, does she?"

Snow shook his head. "Nope. Well…"

"What?"

"Light doesn't like any old gift, but she enjoys things that are special. You know, stuff that mean something. That may not make sense, but I guess I'm trying to say she likes things that have a lot of thought put into it."

Noctis put his hand to his chin. "A lot of thought, huh?..." Noctis reached into his pocket. He pulled out Lightning's necklace, the one she gave him before she tried to return home months ago. He kept it with him wherever he went. It never left his person. Then it hit him. "Hey, Snow, you still know that Cocoon jeweler, right?"

Snow raised an eyebrow. "You mean Old Man Laris? Yeah, he's the guy who makes customized jewelry. Why?"

Noctis tucked the necklace back into his pocket. "I think I found my gift. I'm going down to his shop." Noctis stood to head for the door. He was ready to walk out when he stopped. "And don't tell Light where I'm going. Make up something if she asks."

Snow gave him a thumbs up. "Can do."

The next day, the whole gang met up at the P.L.R. base to discuss their next move. Fang, Lightning, Snow, Serah, Sazh, Hope, Vanille, Noctis, Prompto, Ignis, Gladiolus, and Trinko were scattered about Fang's office. Lightning got the ball rolling by asking, "So what do we do?"

Fang said, "Of course, we still need to find a way to get these guys home. There has to be people back at your world that are worried sick about you all."

Gladiolus added, "Not to mention the kingdom is missing its only prince."

Sazh nodded, "The people would be pretty freaked after this long."

Prompto said, "We all know that."

Snow concluded, "There's got to be some way to open the portal for them. If it opened before, we can open it again."

Ignis pushed up his glasses. "The question: How?"

Vanille looked around. "Don't you think that Crystal fragment could help?"

Hope joined. "Yeah, if the Crystal's power hurts us because we were L'Cie and the portal does the same, shouldn't the Crystal be the cause of the portal's appearance?"

Serah countered, "That may not be necessarily true."

Fang turned to Trinko. "Any ideas?"

Trinko was silent for a moment. He finally said, "Hope has a valid point." Trinko walked up to one of the windows and stared outside. "The power of the Crystal hurts L'Cie. Therefore, the best answer to the portal's source has to be the Crystal. Although, just how are we going to use the fragment to open it?"

Prompto suggested, "Noct could try to manipulate it."

Noctis explained, "Maybe, but I have enough problems controlling my own power. I don't dare try to use the real Crystal. Who knows how I may take it. I might lose control or something."

Fang said, "What about venturing out to other parts of Pulse? If it opened in the Mah'habara, then moved to the fields outside of town, couldn't it have teleported somewhere else?"

Snow said, "But we've waited for it to show up for too long now. Going out to search after this amount of time will take too long. Besides, if it can move then how do we know it won't move again when we're close to finding it?"

The whole room sighed. This was going nowhere. Lightning broke the silence. "What about the magic Cladis used?"

All eyes turned to her. Lightning continued, "He was able to use the power of the Crystal with that ancient magic. If we copied that symbol that drew out the power and let him use it, couldn't we do the same to create another portal?"

Ignis considered her speculation. "Your theory may work."

Gladiolus intervened, "Just how are we going to get the symbol Cladis used?"

Ignis answered, "I think I know it."

Sazh held up his hands. "Hold up, hold up. You saying you remember the thing?"

Ignis said, "I don't remember it, I've studied it. The one Cladis used is one that I've seen before in books. If I work hard enough, I can probably recreate it. Then maybe Gladiolus, Prompto, Trinko or I can make another portal."

Serah said, "Why only you four?"

Ignis said, "It' somewhat risky to have Noctis do it for the reasons he gave earlier. We don't want him to lose control. The rest of you were L'Cie, meaning the power may harm you if you try to use it."

Fang put her hands on her hips. "You really think you can do this, Glasses?"

Snow said, "It sounds like a tough job."

Ignis didn't answer for a moment. "Given enough time, I think I can pull it off."

"You sure you can do this, Ig?" Noctis and Ignis strode out of the base. Noctis was grateful that his friend was putting such a great effort towards their homecoming, but he didn't want him to work too hard.

Ignis shrugged. "I'll do my best. If it doesn't work, we will have to try something else."

Noctis huffed. Ignis was so plain sometimes. It made it difficult to carry on a conversation. Before he knew it, Noctis asked, "Ignis, do you like Pulse or home better?"

Ignis gave him a confused look. "I'd have to say home. I'm what Fang calls a "City Boy." Living in the country like this doesn't suit me. Why? You feel differently?"

Noctis shook his head. "I don't know. I mean, home is home. But Pulse, I'm not kept down by so many things. I can be me. No royal rules to follow, no tight schedule to worry about. What's not to love about that?"

Ignis stopped walking. "You sound as if you don't want to go home."

Noctis halted a few steps ahead of his friend. "I'm not sure if I do."

Ignis asked, "Why not?"

Noctis faced Ignis. "Why would I want to go back? But why should I stay here?"

Ignis' brow furrowed. "I don't understand what you're saying, Noct."

Noctis threw his hands up. "Why would I go home? There I'm bound by my royal duties all day. I can't leave my room without someone waiting on me or asking me questions or wanting to know everything about me. Hell, I even have to run from fangirls sometimes. I have to constantly keep myself from ruining my image. The image the people want for their prince. Meaning, I can't be who I really am in front of them."

Ignis slowly said, "And it's different here."

Noctis agreed, "Of course. It's easy to talk to everyone because I can be me without the possibility of ruining my reputation. I can leave the house whenever I please without the fear of everyone swooning over me. I have more friends because I have more free time to make some. Not to mention people want to get close to me because they know I'm rich and famous. I can work for myself and earn what I want instead of having it given to me. The person I love is here. I get to see her every day. If I go back, my time with her will be very limited. Why would I go back?"

"Because you know you must."

Noctis took in a deep breath. "Exactly. Why should I stay here? I have too much back home to just forget about. I have people who need a leader. I am the only heir, so I can't just abandon my father to care for the kingdom until he dies. The country needs me. But…"

Ignis finished, "You're happier here." Noctis nodded. Ignis knew his friend was torn between his ideal life and the one he must live. Noctis begged Ignis, "Please Ig, you have to know what I can do."

Ignis was Noctis' advisor. Just as his father was to Noctis'. And his grandfather to his friend's. His duty was to help the prince whenever he couldn't make a decision. His dilemma was that he didn't know what to do either. "I can only give you the advice your mother gave." Noctis was baffled. Ignis quoted, "The right decision isn't always the best decision. The best decision is the one that follows your heart." Noctis looked down. "What does your heart want, Noct?" With that, Ignis walked away, leaving Noctis to ponder on his words.

Noctis racked his brain for some sort of response. He couldn't think of much. His heart told him to stay with Lightning. He knew he couldn't do that. There was no way he could leave behind his whole kingdom to find a new leader with him advocating the throne. But he couldn't rip Lightning for her world and force her into the life of a royal… Noctis just realized he imagined her being his queen. It was a nice thought…No, he wouldn't allow Lightning to give up her home and family to take on all of that responsibility. It would be like planting a rose in a desert. It wouldn't be good for her.

He ended up going home. He subconsciously went up to his room. He sat on his bed. He put his head in his hands. There was no way he could make a decision like this that would make everyone happy. But… why was he thinking about what everybody felt? It was his life, he could live it the way he wanted. It must have been the prince in him. His father had always taught him to try his best to make everyone pleased with his choices when he became king.

A knock sounded at his door. Noctis' head snapped up. "Come in." He guessed it was Lightning, but it was Serah who contacted him. "Hey, Noct."

Noctis responded, "Hi. What's up?"

Serah sat down on the wooden chair by his bed. "You were really spaced when you came back. I tried to talk to you."

Noctis hadn't noticed that he completely ignored her. "Sorry. I was thinking."

"About what?"

Noctis looked down. Serah reassured, "We're friends, Noct. I'm here if you need someone to help you."

Noctis smiled. There weren't many times in his life when someone said that to him. Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto were his only friends. "I'm not sure what to do."

"What do you mean?"

Noctis said, "I know I have to get home, but I like it here. There's no pressure of the celebrity life over in this world. If I go back home, I won't get to do what I want anymore."

Serah touched her face. "I get what you're saying. I think we're all scared of that."

Noctis was taken aback. "You are?"

Serah laughed, "What made you think we aren't? We're all your friends. And even though not all of us will admit it, we're frightened that you may go home and never come back. After all, the portal closed every time someone went through. If we couldn't open it again after you guys went home, well, we wouldn't see you anymore. Don't you think that scares us? Losing friends is hard."

Noctis nodded. "That's just adds to my problem."

Serah told him, "This is your decision. The only person who could make it is you. Just keep in mind that your happiness should come first." She was pretty much telling him what Ignis told him. He had to really listen to his heart for this, didn't he?

"What do you think Light thinks?"

Serah thought for a minute. "I don't know. She would tell you the same thing I am."

"I'm not going to do anything that will separate us. If that means staying here and leaving behind the throne, I'll do it."

"Lightning may not let you go that far."

"Why not?"

Serah sighed. "Like I told you when you moved in; she lives for other people. She's always putting others first. If she knew that you planned that, she wouldn't let you go through with it. Most likely because she doesn't want you to regret anything."

Noctis knew she was right. If he wasn't happy with giving up his life back home, Lightning would blame herself for making him do that, even though it wasn't her fault. Noctis smiled at Serah. "I'll just think it over. Thanks, Serah. It feels nice to talk to someone who can help."

Serah returned his smile. "Anytime." Serah stood from the chair. "Now come downstairs. Lightning said she's bringing something home for dinner."

Lightning stood in the cave with her companions. Ignis held a piece of cloth in his hands that was wrapped up like a scroll. Fang came up next to her. "The smart ass remade the symbol in a week. He better have gotten it right."

Lightning said, "We don't even know if it will work, so I wouldn't get mad at him if the symbol doesn't open it."

"Yeah, I guess."

Fang recommended attempting to open the portal in a cave away from New Bodhum so if anything dangerous happened the citizens would be safe. Not only that, but if the procedure worked and the portal didn't disappear after they left, they didn't want anyone finding it. Trinko clapped his hands together. "Okay, shall we cross our fingers and hope it works?"

Ignis pulled out the scroll. "Yeah, let's do it."

Prompto handed Ignis the Crystal fragment he had held onto. "You sure you don't want someone else to do this?"

Ignis nodded. "Positive. I've studied it and know how it is used, so I have the most chance of success." After examining the symbol Ignis produced, Lightning believed it did look similar to the one Cladis had on his glove, maybe even identical.

Gladiolus asked, "Do you think it'll close after we go through?"

Noctis said, "It might."

With a deep breath, Ignis held up the symbol in one hand and the Crystal fragment in the other. He pointed them towards the wall at the end of the small cave. After a moment, the Crystal began to glow. Ignis moaned in pain. All the L'Cie were hurt too, except for Lightning and Fang, who had been exposed to it more than the others. The burning was pretty bad, but still bearable. Apparently Cladis had more practice with the ancient art, since he wasn't harmed by it when he used it. Hope said, "Ignis, if it hurts, stop!"

Ignis groaned, "I can handle it." He tried not to faint from the pain, but it was difficult to maintain his strength. He didn't know it was so painful to manipulate the Crystal's power.

After a few grueling minutes, a flash of light come from the Crystal. It blinded the whole group, forcing each person to shield their eyes. The bright light quickly faded. Lightning slowly lowered her hand. Her eyes widened.

All eyes turned to the wall. And there the portal was, once again connecting the two worlds. Prompto became excited. He grabbed Ignis and started jumping up and down. "Yeah! You did it! You did it! We're going home!" Gladiolus joined them by grabbing Noctis and cheering. The rest began celebrating with them.

Ignis was still weary from the experience. "Shouldn't we wait a while to go through? It may be unstable."

Fang said, "That's right. Maybe we should leave it alone for a little while. That way you guys could get anything you want to bring back too."

Gladiolus wondered, "Do you think it will be here when we come back?"

Ignis grunted, "It better be."

The group exited the cave. Noctis went with everyone to get to New Bodhum. He wanted to talk to Lightning, but she was absent. Noctis looked back towards the cave. She was walking in the opposite direction. Without hesitation, Noctis ran back to her. "Light!"

Lightning slowed down for him but continued forward. Once he caught up, he asked, "Where are you going?"

She plainly answered, "Nowhere. I'm just trying to think."

"About what?"

She didn't say anything. They approached a fairly big waterfall. They were near its peak. If you looked down you could see the river it lead to. Noctis had to slightly raise his voice to speak to Lightning. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Noctis stepped in front of her. "What's wrong?" He repeated, his tone a little more stern.

Lightning continued her silence. Noctis grabbed her shoulders. "Lightning, please talk to me." Still nothing. He was beginning to get worried. What was up? "Lightning, come on. Why are you upset?" She wouldn't respond to his plea. "Lightning—"

"I'm terrified, okay?" Noctis didn't get to say anything before she went on with her outburst. "You can go home. I'm happy for you, but I'm scared too. You can get back to your life, but I don't know if you'll come back! I need you, Noctis! I can't stand the thought of losing you! You mean everything to me!" Noctis could see the tears welling up in her eyes. " Noctis, I love you!" Lightning gasped at what she said. She didn't know she truly felt that way yet. Now she did.

Noctis stared down into her eyes. "You do?" Ever since he told her he loved her she never said it back.

Lightning nodded. "Noctis, I love you. And I can't lose you."

Noctis pulled her into an embrace. "I love you too." He could tell she tried not to, but Lightning softly wept on his shoulder. "Light, please don't cry."

He gently pushed her back to look at her face. Her normally emotionless face was now red with sadness. Her eyes showed all of the pain and sadness she hid. It was easy to forget that behind that hard face and stern attitude was someone who was ready to break apart, just like many other people in the world. "I can't lose you either. And I won't. I WILL make sure we won't be separated. I can't live without you. So I'm going to do anything in my power to keep us together... Even if that means not going home at all."

Lightning snapped, "Don't even think about staying here. You have too much to live for back in your world. Don't get dragged down by me. You don't need me—"

"Don't say that ever again." Noctis shook her shoulders. "I DO need you. Don't ever think otherwise." He tenderly rubbed his thumb against her cheek. "I love you. And this can show you that." Noctis pulled a necklace from his pocket. It had a silver chain attached to a charm. The charm was tear shaped. A shiny rock that was a translucent light blue covered the front. Its smooth surface made it seem flawless. Silver covered the back, making the front side rounded and the back flat. Lightning could see a lightning bolt similar to the one on the necklace she gave Noctis through the crystal. "Noctis…"

He placed the necklace around her neck. "To replace the one you gave me. I had it custom made by Old Man Laris." Lightning touched the tear drop shaped charm in her hand. "You designed it?"

"Yeah. I had the rock in front match your eye color. I wanted it to be your style too, so I added that lightning bolt in the middle." He took Lightning's old necklace from his pocket. "And there's one last thing." He took the charm and flipped in over so the silver back faced him. An imprint of another lightning bolt was on the back. He put the charm from Lightning's old necklace and placed it in the hole. "Now, just like us, our necklaces are connected." He took the charm out from Lightning's.

"Noctis, you put so much thought into this. It's… amazing." She put her arms around him. "Thank you. The only thing anyone ever thinks of getting me is hunting gear or something."

Noctis gazed down at her. "I wanted this to be special."

Lightning looked down. "This doesn't change the situation."

Noctis put something in her hand. She was puzzled when she saw it. "Gil?"

Noctis nodded. "Throw it into the waterfall with me."

"To make a wish?"

"No, a promise." He moved her close to the waterfall's edge. Lightning held the gil in her hand, palm down with her fingers closed over it. Noctis placed his left hand around her waist. He put his right over her hand that held out the gil. He pressed his chest into her back. "Ready?"

Lightning confirmed, "Yeah."

Noctis took a deep breath. "I promise that, no matter what, I will be with you. I'll never leave your side. Even though I may be going home, I will not let it get in the way of us. If the portal closes, I'll find a way back to you. If it doesn't, then I will still be with you. I don't care what happens. I promise I'll be with you, all the way." Noctis and Lightning released the gil. They watched it as it fell down into the river. Noctis turned Lightning around. He abruptly kissed her. Between kisses, he said, "I'll be with you. Always."

The next morning, Lightning stood nervously in the cave. The portal was still there. Noctis and his friends readied to go. Fang said, "You guys all set?"

They nodded. They approached the portal. Before stepping through, they looked back at them. Noctis said, "Thank you all. For everything."

Each one nodded back. Noctis looked over each of his friends' faces. His eyes lingered on Lightning. He mouthed, "I'm always with you. I promise."

Lightning mouthed back, "I know."

Lightning clutched her new necklace in her hands. She couldn't watch as Noctis and his friends walked through the portal, unaware if they would ever return.


	22. Chapter 22: A Prince Yet Again

**Chapter 22 – A Prince Yet Again**

Noctis couldn't open his eyes. He was afraid that he wouldn't be home, but in some other dimension or something. He was lying on the ground, slowly getting up. He heard his friends stirring nearby. He still hadn't opened his eyes when he stood.

Noctis took a deep breath. He gradually opened his eyes. Where was he? The outskirts of his kingdom.

Prompto jumped for joy, pulling all of the guys together. "We did it! We're back! Hell yeah! Woohoo!" Prompto released his friends and threw his hands in the air. "No more plain yellow chocobos!" Gladiolus rolled his eyes. "You're all worked up over that?"

Prompto turned to face him. "Ye—" The blonde's eyes widened.

Ignis asked, "What?"

He pointed behind Ignis, where they had come from. He said, "Look…"

Noctis turned around. There it was: the portal hadn't vanished. Noctis took a few steps closer. He spoke to it, like he did months ago when he was trying to get Lightning home. "Is it open on your side?"

A voice with and accent answered on the other side, "Hell yeah!"

Ignis said, "Looks like it was a success."

Gladiolus called, "Then come over!"

One by one, each of their companions from Pulse came through the portal, glad that they hadn't lost their new friends forever. Lightning came last, since she had seen it all before. While the group was marveling at the city, Noctis embraced Lightning, relieved that they could still be together, despite where they were from. She stated, "I was scared, Noctis."

Noctis patted her head. "Me too." He pushed her shoulders to move her back. He looked straight into her eyes. "But we're together. That's all that matters, right?" She nodded in agreement.

Ignis recommended, "We better get Noctis up to the castle. It doesn't look like the invasion did too much damage, but there's no doubt that the king is worried."

Noctis concluded while heading for the city, "And we need to find out what happened after the invasion. Let's go now so—"

Gladiolus kept him from moving by tugging on his shirt. "Hold it. You're a prince here, remember? If you just waltz on in the citizens will swarm us."

Noctis had gotten too used to being average like he was on Pulse. "So what do we do?"

Gladiolus planned, "I'll go and get you a hooded jacket to wear. Then we can get back to the castle."

Fang and Vanille were the most amazed with the kingdom. Sure, Cocoon was big and busy, but the great city was even more extravagant. Advanced technology was all around. It was morning there, unlike Pulse, where it was evening. Vanille twirled in front of them while singing, "It's all so big and fascinating!"

Hope said, "It kind of reminds me of Cocoon. Minus the floating in the sky part."

Sazh commented, "The city looks like Nautilus to me. Only there aren't chocobos running around."

Prompto suddenly gasped dramatically. He excitedly huffed, "We HAVE to go check something! Come on!" He took off through the streets. The group was following him, close behind. He led them to the square, where Fang could have sworn she heard a "kweh."

When they saw the animals around them, most of the Pulse dwellers were shocked. Sazh said, "Damn, kid. And I thought you were lying about that!"

Serah shouted with glee, "Colorful chocobos!"

The square had a picket fence that kept chocobos on display. Imagine any color in the world. There was probably a chocobo there that was that very color. The gang went up to the fence, reaching out to the large birds.

Fang stood next to Noctis, so he heard her say, "Not as big as Pulse's chocobos, but definitely more fun."

Noctis smirked. "Are Cocoon's the same?"

"Actually, no. They're a little smaller, but still bigger than these. They're all yellow too though." Fang clapped her hands together softly and whistled at one chocobo. Its attention was piqued, immediately coming over to Fang.

Noctis said, "Light did that same thing to another chocobo a while ago."

Fang laughed, "Who do you think taught her that neat little trick?"

Prompto exclaimed at Noctis, "Didn't you miss the variety?"

Noctis groaned, "You're not going to start skipping and prancing again, are you?"

Prompto frowned. "Not anymore." He readied himself to walk away, but something was in his way. Noctis warned, "Prompt, watch for that rock."

"AHHH!" Prompto tripped over a large stone in the street, sending him over the small fence and into a pile of loose feathers from the chocobos.

Everyone ran over to him. Snow called, "You alright, Prompt?"

With a flurry of feathers, Prompto sat up. He could have passed for a chocobo with so many feathers stuck to him. "Yeah, I'm good." They all laughed.

Noctis' heard a woman say behind them, "Let's get to the castle gates. The king is returning soon!"

Gladiolus turned to him. "You hear that?"

Noctis nodded. "Guys, I think we should head to the castle now. It looks like the king is on his way there."

Trinko asked, "You mean your father?"

Noctis sighed. "Yes."

Lightning asked, "You heard those girls. The citizens will be swarming the gates looking for Solis. How are we going to get in unrecognized?"

Noctis reassured, "Don't worry. You know as well as I do that there are plenty of hidden passages in the castle. It will be easy getting in using one of them."

"Check. It. Out!" Snow looked up to the pointed roofs of the kingdom's castle.

Hope asked, "You seriously live here?"

Noctis answered, "My whole life."

Trinko said, "You could fit all of New Bodhum's people in there!"

Ignis calculated, "Probably more."

Noctis approached a brick wall that was at the castle's side. Serah wondered, "How do we get in from here?"

Noctis got a sly smile. "Watch." Carefully examining the wall, Noctis pushed against two bricks with his hands. They sunk in, allowing him to push the wall aside, revealing a surprisingly well lit tunnel.

Fang said, "This place just keeps getting more and more interesting, doesn't it?"

Noctis led them through, shutting the door tightly behind him. He guided them through the tunnel. They turned a few corners, but the path was pretty straight forward. After a bit of walking, Noctis slid open another door.

"Whoa!" Everyone seemed amazed at the place. Gladiolus gloated, "Pretty sweet, huh?"

Ignis said, "We'll need to find the king if we want to straighten out our excuse for our disappearance."

Noctis said, "He's normally in the throne room by now. Let's go."

Lightning asked, "You think he's already returned?"

Prompto explained, "Knowing the king, he probably snuck in instead of causing a ruckus at the front gate."

They went up quite a few floors. Most of the newcomers were impressed by the elegant tapestries and decorations around the castle.

Lightning felt nostalgic. She remembered this hallway. She remembered Noctis escorting her down it. Lightning chuckled. "Talk about déjà vu."

Trinko leaned over. "Why?"

Noctis answered for her, "I took Light down this hall on her first night here. Now she's going down it again on the first day of her return."

Lightning recalled the night she met him. The same one he took her to her new room. The anger and confusion she felt. It all seemed like an eternity ago.

Trinko laughed, "Reminiscing, eh, Light?" She ignored him.

By now they were in front of the throne room's great doors. Gladiolus was already pushing them open. "Hey, Your Majesty! We're—" he paused,. "He's not even frigging here yet!"

Ignis sighed, "It appears he's a little late."

Sazh said, "You can't rush old men."

Vanille skipped to the front of the group. "Then we wait. Let's keep looking around!" She started running down the corridor.

Ignis told her, "Don't draw too much attention. You could pass as an intruder."

A door opened further down the hall. A familiar face stepped out. Ignis continued, "It's best we remain unnoticed. You aren't known around here and the guards could—"

Lightning recognized the figure that stepped out of the room. "Wen!"

Ignis finished, "Never mind."

The maid looked to them. "Lightning!" she ran over. To Lightning's surprise, Wen hugged her tightly. "I was so worried! You just disappeared and I was afraid you were hurt or worse! Where were you? How've you been? What happened to you after the invasion?"

Wen was squeezing Lightning so hard that she could barely reply, "Wen! I can't breathe!"

Wen stepped back to let go. "Sorry, I'm just so excited to see you!"

It was then Lightning saw a light scar on Wen's right cheek. "What's that?"

The maid touched her face. "A bullet grazed me the night Cladis attacked. "It's nothing, I'm fine."

Lightning became angry. "You set me up."

"What?"

"That night a while ago. With the dance. The night of the invasion. When you forced me to dance with…"

Wen was sheepish. "I was hoping you forgot about that." Lightning glared at her. "In my defense, it was all Prompto's idea, and he talked me into it!"

She finally saw the rest of Lightning's friends behind her. Including Noctis. "Your Highness!" She gave him a shallow bow. "Welcome back!"

Noctis thought, 'I really am home, aren't I?'

Lightning took the liberty of introducing her companions to each other.

Wen told her new friends, "If it's the king you're waiting for, I'd be happy to show you all around until he arrives."

Sazh said, "I'm good with that. This place is pretty hip."

Trinko added, "Pretty snazzy."

Hope stared at both of them is disbelief. "Did you guys seriously just say hip and snazzy?"

Fang said, "Damn you old men and your stupid words."

Sazh defended, "Don't insult your elders! Snazzy is a great word!"

Snow countered, "It is a great word. At least, it was until about, oh, twenty years ago."

Trinko threatened, "Don't make me draw my blade Snow. You know we old guys can't keep up with you youngster's slang."

Serah interrupted, "What's that?"

The group silenced. Footfalls and muffled voices could be heard. Prompto panicked, "Quick! Around that corner!" Everyone rushed down the corridor to hide behind the wall.

"The council is getting impatient." Noctis thought he recognized that voice. It sounded like his father's secretary's voice.

Another voice responded, "They can be as impatient as they please. It doesn't change anything." Noctis knew whose voice that was.

Ignis asked Noctis, "You think it's him?"

They could hear the throne room's doors opening. The first person, probably the secretary, said, "Your Majesty, with all due respect, I have to say the prince's disappearance is causing too much of a scene to just wait for his return."

Vanille froze. "Wait, if he called one 'Your Majesty,' then doesn't that make him…"

Gladiolus peeked around the corner. "Yep, he's the king. And Noctis' father."

Everyone now looked around the wall. They only caught a glimpse of the king. The secretary walked past the throne room doors and down a different hallway. Fang stepped out. "Okay, no more beating around the bush. Let's go talk to him already."

Wen warned, "You better let Prince Noctis lead." Noctis thought, 'Again with the title. I was so used to not hearing it.' Wen continued, "The king has been on edge lately."

Prompto asked, "What for?"

Trinko explained, "From losing Noctis, of course."

Sazh said, "When a father loses his son, he thinks of nothing else. Speaking from experience here."

Wen didn't ask what he meant. "I have other things to do. Lightning, please stay a while so we can catch up. I'm sorry, I must be going."

Serah shook her head. "There's no need to apologize. We'll be here later."

Wen smiled. "You're just as kind hearted as Lightning said. Farewell." Lightning avoided Serah's gaze in embarrassment as Wen left.

Each one nervously entered the throne room. None of them had ever seen a real king before. The royal didn't notice them come in. His back was to them. He stared out of a window, rubbing his temples. Snow whispered, "Well, someone say something."

Ignis, being the royal advisor, acted on instinct. "Is something wrong, Your Majesty?"

Everyone was amazed by his move, but then had to refrain from snickering as the king casually answered, "Just with everything going on I've gotten such a headache."

Ignis said, "What has been going on anyway?"

Noctis knew his father as an intelligent, alert man. But he had never acted so daft as to carry on a conversation with a person he thought was missing. Ignis slowly approached Solis as he explained, "With the king dead, all of Niflheim's people are in a panic. I've been constantly traveling to Tenebrae as well since their king wants to assist in helping Niflheim get back on its feet. But our own kingdom has problems; with Noctis gone, the populace is sticking their nose into every bit of information we have on his location, even though it isn't much. With him absent, I also don't have anyone to receive a second opinion from when I need one."

"I'm sorry to hear that, sir. But I have a feeling he is close by."

By now the king realized he wasn't talking to just any servant. He swiftly turned, seeing Ignis, who had walked up to him. "Ignis! What are you—"

Everyone laughed at his foolishness. Prompto taunted, "Geez, who did you think you were talking to?"

The king's expression was blank. Gladiolus pushed Noctis forward while saying, "Go have your reunion!"

Noctis stumbled, gaining Solis' full attention. The king hurried over as Noctis straightened. He said, "Noctis… your back."

Noctis nodded. "Sorry I wasn't here to help. My absence has caused you a lot of trouble with the kingdom."

Solis smiled brilliantly. He embraced Noctis, sending him into shock. His father was kind, but it had been years since he showed his affection this way. Noctis wasn't a little kid anymore. He found it odd that his father acted so out of character. He was normally calm and composed. Right now he seemed overwhelmed. Solis chuckled, "I don't care about any of that. I wasn't worried about you because I needed your help." Solis stepped back to look at Noctis. "I was worried because you're my son. As your father I wanted nothing more than to know you were safe."

Noctis was disconcerted by that he was saying all of this in front of his friends. Classic parenting right there. Gladiolus gushed, "Aww!"

Lightning said, "Nice speech."

Solis then noticed the strangers all around him. "Lightning, I didn't think I'd see you again either." He looked to the new faces. "Can I ask who your friends are?"

Noctis said, "They've been helping me since I left."

Gladiolus said, "We've got a lot of explaining to do."

Solis said, "I'd rather have us talk while sitting." The king snapped his fingers. Almost instantaneously, a few maids walked in, awaiting his order. "Get us some chairs in here. I wish to speak in privacy."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The maids fetched multiple chairs within the next minute. Each person took a seat. Snow commented, "Damn, pretty sweet. You've got to teach me how to do that."

Solis smirked. "Unless you become a king, I can't help you."

Prompto thought, "Doesn't that mean Fang could do that back at P.L.R.?"

Fang contemplated the idea. "I guess I could."

Solis asked, "What do you mean, Prompto?"

Fang answered, "Well, you could say I'm in the same position of authority as you. The name's Fang, leader of the Pulse Life Restoration. In other words, I run all that goes on on Pulse."

To satisfy the king's curiosity, everyone explained their story, where Noctis and his friends had been, and how they had gotten back. Solis was intrigued by the portal. "The Crystal really created that portal?"

Sazh clarified, "Well, it opened the portal when we used the fragment. You may want this back." He handed the fragment to Solis, who took it quickly.

"This has never happened before. What would influence the Crystal to do it now?"

Snow pointed out, "You make it sound like this Crystal is alive."

Noctis said, "In a sense, it is."

Hope looked a little freaked out. "What?"

Solis explained, "The Crystal's power is said to come from the souls of those who have passed on during the past thousands of years. Meaning, the souls within the Crystal decide what the power is used for. For example, when the ancient magics that controlled the Crystal's power was out casted in order to reserve its power for the royal families." Solis put a hand to his chin. "I just don't understand what made the Crystal open a portal to Pulse."

Vanille suggested, "What if it wanted to connect the worlds to let us through?"

Everyone stared at her. Fang squinted at her. "What are you saying, 'Nille?"

Vanille stood. She began to walk around. "Think about it. Every time we passed through the portal, we did it voluntarily. But when Lightning came here for the first time the portal forced her through. What if it knew Cladis would invade both of our worlds? Wouldn't it summon another powerful force to help stop him? A powerful force… like a L'Cie?"

Lightning sat for a second. "She has a valid point."

Ignis pushed up his glasses. "It makes sense if you put it like that."

Prompto held his head. "Argh! This is getting wa-a-a-a-y trippy!"

Serah said, "It does make sense… Are we just going to leave it at that?"

Gladiolus concluded, "We might have to. There isn't a better explanation."

Serah asked, "Just one question; You're the king. But… where's the queen?"

The room filled with a mix of curiosity and gloom. Anyone who knew what happened to her was solemn. Noctis lied, "When I was a child she became ill and died."

Serah looked regretful. "Oh, I'm—"

A knock sounded at the doors. "Your Majesty, there is an important phone call for you."

Solis stood. "Duty calls." They followed him on his way out. "You're all free to stay here as long as you like. I don't mind a little company." He stopped in the hallway. He turned to Noctis. "But you might want to lay low for a little bit. If you disappeared than snuck back into the castle it would look like you were doing something shady. We may be able to fake an entrance later."

Noctis slouched. "Oh, joy."

Trinko said, "What, you don't like being recognized?"

Ignis said, "He's never liked all of the attention."

Noctis agreed, "Alright, I'll stay hidden. While you're handling things I'll show these guys around."

Solis nodded. Noctis said, "Okay, follow me I guess."

Noctis stepped over to a window to start the tour. The crowd that waited for the king still hadn't dispersed, seeing as how Solis took another entrance like Noctis. From outside, you could hear shouts saying, "Look, up in the window! The Prince is back!" Cheers erupted from outside. Noctis swiftly closed the curtains in front of the monstrous window.

Hope said, "Well, there goes that plan."

Prompto throws his hands in the air. "Congratulations! You're famous again!"

Noctis stared at his office room's desk with a perfect poker face. He couldn't believe how much paperwork had piled up. He simply closed the door and went back to his bedroom. He plopped down onto a sofa. 'If only life was as easy here as it was on Pulse.' Back there he would just work for Fang. Then he could go straight home to Lightning. He knew they would have less time together now that he had to get back to his prince life.

Noctis abruptly stood without thinking. He subconsciously went to his door. He had to spend as much time as possible with Light before he got back to work. When he opened his door, she was already there, probably preparing to knock. "Hey, Noctis."

"Hi. Um…" Noctis stepped aside. "Won't you come in?"

She nodded before entering. Noctis closed the door behind them. This was perfect; Lightning was there, in his room, where there was little chance of interruption. She stared out to the night sky. The sun set a little while ago. Noctis crept up behind Lightning and put his arms around her waist, setting his head onto her shoulder. He gently kissed her cheek. "What?"

Noctis nuzzled her neck. "I was… scared."

"Of what?"

"That I wouldn't get to see you again after I went through the portal."

Lightning looked down. "I… I was too." She touched her necklace. "I was… terrified."

Noctis held her tighter. "I love you."

Lightning answered, "I… love you too."

"You don't sound sure."

Lightning closed her eyes. "I'm just afraid that… feeling this way will end up with me getting hurt. I don't want to go through that."

Noctis understood. "I get it. I feel that way too. But…" Noctis turned her around her to face her. "My feelings are strong enough to where I know it will be worth it in the end."

Lightning remained emotionless. "You really believe that?"

Noctis pulled her close. "Of course." They were silent for a little bit. Noctis finally said, "Now that I'm back to royal duties, we won't get as much time to spend with each other."

Lightning stepped back, Noctis' hands still on her waist. "So… we just have to make use of this time we have now."

Noctis put on a seductive smile. "That's exactly what I was thinking." He leaned down to nibble on her ear. Lightning put her arms around his neck. Noctis slowly guided her over to the edge of his bed. They sat down on the side. They kissed each other passionately. Noctis couldn't keep from licking her cheek. Lightning let out a slight gasp. "Noctis, what are you…"

Noctis shushed her. He pushed her down so he lied on top of her. He couldn't help it. She was harsh, stubborn, concealed. She had a mouth and a temper. She wouldn't bother listening to anyone who she didn't care about. She was quiet. She was temperamental. She was hard to work with. She frustrated a lot of people easily. Some may see her as nothing more than a soldier.

But not him.

Noctis believed differently. He looked past all of those bad qualities. She was so pulchritudinous. Under her harsh nature, she was kind. She could open up when she wanted to. She was selfless. She always put everyone before herself. She was strong. She was independent. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind. Through all of the pain she had had, she was still able to live life to the fullest. Her rare smiles made him feel truly happy.

It was there that he thought of everything that made him love her. Her silky pink hair. Her luscious red lips. Her crystal blue eyes. Her toned body. Her clever mind. Her skill. Her secret kind attitude. He could have named a billion things more things that he adored about her. But by then he had started acting on impulse.

Noctis took his lips from hers. His mouth wandered to her neck. He bit the zipper that was on her brown top. He began to unzip her shirt. Lightning gasped, "Noctis, stop."

He whispered, "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you in any way."

Noctis undid the belts on her top. He gradually slipped it off. Only her bra covered her chest. He slid his hands down her waist and down to her hips. Lightning pushed against his shoulders. "Noctis, I don't think this is…" Noctis forced his mouth back onto hers. She still fought for a minute, trying to push him off of her, but she soon gave in. Noctis went back to undoing her skirt. He slipped it off of her legs, enjoying the feeling of her skin.

He quickly pulled off his own shirt and pants. Lightning was truly captivated by his looks. Lightning allowed him to undress himself before returning his full attention to her. She was too lost in her thoughts to care. He could be impatient. Sometimes even a little cocky. He was a little arrogant at times. He was also lazy. He would sometimes push her temper just to get a good laugh. He was insecure. He was shy. He quarantined his feelings. He knew just how to get under her skin. There were times when he wouldn't leave her alone.

But she didn't mind.

Aside from all of that, Noctis was beyond handsome. He had the most gorgeous eyes. His few princely smiles sent shivers down her spine. He was loving, romantic, gentle, kind. He was sexy, smart, strong. He knew how to work his way into her softer side. His voice was alluring. His touch enchanted her. He made her heart melt. He was the only person who could do that. He was hard to resist.

Noctis couldn't wait any longer. He pulled off anything else she was wearing. He kissed her violently. Noctis could tell she was nervous. He put his forehead to hers. "Are you ready?"

Lightning stuttered, "I… I don't know…"

Noctis smirked. He kissed her again, then bit her cheeks playfully. He moved his hands all along her torso. "How about now?"

Lightning moaned, "Yeah."

Noctis' smirk widened. "Then let's get started."

Solis spoke with the king of Tenebrae. He had a big problem. "I know you just got back from Tenebrae, but we are having issues."

"Like what?"

"Well, since Niflheim's attack, some so my troops are paranoid to work with yours. They fear they're planning something. The only way we could stop their fighting is to bind out kingdoms together. That way they would know they're on the same side."

Solis became worried. "How would we do that?"

The king of Tenebrae said, "It's simple. Your son just has to agree."

Solis didn't like this. He knew where he was going with this.


	23. Chapter 23: How Long is Forever?

**Chapter 23 – How Long is Forever?**

Lightning's eyes fluttered open. She yawned slightly, trying to recognize where she was. Her memories came rushing back as she realized her location. She lay on her side, her head resting on Noctis' shoulder. Make that his bare shoulder. And chest. And everything. She recalled the glorious night they spent together. If only it didn't end.

The soldier stared at her lover's face with a soft smile. His eyes were still closed. He appeared to be sleeping. The sun's rays shone through the black curtains of the Prince's room. It was clearly morning. Probably about eight or nine o'clock. Lightning began to sit up so she could get dressed. She didn't get very far. She was forcefully pulled back down onto the bed. A hand was firmly holding her naked waist. Noctis didn't open his eyes as he commanded, "Stay."

Lightning was tense at first, but gradually relaxed. "Clingy, aren't we?"

Noctis opened his eyes to look down at her. He didn't answer. He only smiled. He pulled her closer to him, not that they weren't close already. Lightning cuddled against his chest. Noctis said, "I'm not clingy. I just don't want you to go yet."

Lightning rolled her eyes. "That's being clingy."

Noctis huffed. "Call it what you want. You're not leaving yet."

"I'm a little cold. I'd rather…" She fumbled the next part since it sounded so peculiar to her. "Put my clothes back on."

Noctis smirked at her choice of words. It put pictures into his mind. "I'd be happy to keep you warm." Noctis wrapped both of his arms around her waist. He turned onto his side so he faced her. "How was it?"

Lightning had confusion in her tone. "How was what?"

"You know, last night."

Lightning blushed. "You totally forced me to do it."

"I couldn't help it."

Lightning buried her head into his chest. Noctis noticed that her happiness had faded. "Something wrong?"

Lightning thought about how he always used to ask that. She had been happy for so long that it was the first time she heard that question in a long time. "I'm just… worried."

"About what?"

She hesitated. "Was it… right?"

Noctis couldn't see her point. "What are you talking about?"

"What we did. Was it right?"

Noctis thought for a moment. "I think it was." Noctis' smile faded. "What about you?"

Lightning was silent. "I won't get mad, Light."

"Think of the consequences. Was it worth it?"

Noctis took her face in his hands. "I think so. You want to know why?" She nodded. "Because I know I'll never leave you. So no matter what comes out of it, whether it's a big deal or nothing happens at all, I'll be here by your side. Always and forever."

Lightning's smile returned. "I love you." There was no doubt in her voice this time.

Noctis kissed her forehead. "I love you more, Light."

Lightning placed her hands on his chest. "Not my real name. Do you want to know?"

Noctis put on a gloating grin. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but I know already."

Lightning raised an eyebrow. "What is it then?"

Noctis nuzzled her neck. "What kind of a boyfriend would I be if I didn't know my love's real name, Claire?"

Lightning was amazed. "How did you know?"

"Remember a while back when we were cleaning? When you asked me to move a few boxes to the storage closet, some things fell out. One of them was an old family photo. It had you, Serah, and your parents in it. On the back it had all of your names written on it."

Lightning glared at him. He had known all along and sat on that information, waiting to rub it in her face. "Bastard."

"Hey, if you hadn't asked me to move the boxes, I wouldn't have found the picture, so it's partly your fault."

She pushed him so he was lying on his back again. She lay on top of him, her hair brushing his chest, causing him to chuckle. "Shut up. And save the Claire stuff for when we're alone."

He liked the feeling of her chest on his. He stroked her cheek. "I wouldn't dream of using it elsewhere." Noctis turned, making Lightning slide off of him. He pinned her wrists down. He was on top now. "But I don't plan on letting you go, so I'll get to call you Claire for a little longer."

Lightning shook her head. "Then you're going to have to fight." She pushed him off, forcing him to lie on his back once again. She sat on top of him.

"You love to dominate, don't you?"

She leaned down to kiss him. He gladly pulled her onto him. But she didn't agree. She abruptly leapt off of him. She swung her legs over the edge off the bed. Noctis propped himself up on his elbow. "What's up?" He snaked one arm around her waist, pressing his head into the small of her back. Lightning removed his arm. "Nothing's up." She stretched, her body captivating Noctis.

Noctis traced her spine with his fingertips. "Then come back." His voice was as smooth as velvet.

She shook her head. Noctis understood now. She was toying with him. Noctis sat up. "Remember how I said you weren't going anywhere?"

Lightning mocked, "Doesn't mean I'm listening."

Noctis' frustration was growing. "But Claire," he whined.

Lightning scolded, "Don't get too needy now." She stood up.

Noctis said, "Don't act like you don't like this."

"How do you know if I do?"

"I can tell. Now come on."

Lightning smirked. "You're not the boss of me."

"Claire, come back down."

"How dare you order me around."

"Please?"

"Now you're desperate enough to beg?"

Noctis had about had it. He viciously pulled her back down, holding her to the mattress. He glared down at her, his eyes full of lust. "Quit playing games!"

He pressed his lips onto hers roughly. She didn't fight back now. Noctis prepared to lay down on her fully, but was interrupted.

Someone banged on his door. "Hey, Noct!" It sounded like Gladiolus. Noctis would have to murder him later. "The king wants you to see him in ten minutes."

Noctis didn't answer. He ignored him. Gladiolus called, "Noct? You're still sleeping?" Lightning and Noctis panicked when they heard the doorknob turning. Noctis quickly shouted back, "D-don't come in! I'm… changing!"

Gladiolus said, "Alright. But ten minutes." Neither of them moved until Gladiolus' footsteps faded. Noctis turned his attention back to Lightning. He could see how dejected she had gotten. Noctis kissed her cheek. She whispered, "Don't go."

Noctis sighed, "I have to."

Lightning said, "But then I have to go too."

Noctis gave her a questioning look. She explained, "Fang wanted us to get back to P.L.R. business this morning. I'm sure they all went back by now since none of them barged in on us." She shivered at the thought.

Noctis knew she could come back. The portal didn't look like it would close now. But he couldn't bear with her being so far away. He wasn't ready to watch her go yet. He climbed off of her to let her sit. He was truly saddened to have this moment end. He wouldn't let it end yet. "Do you think you could wait while I'm doing business? It's probably some stupid council meeting. I'll be out in an hour. Can you wait until then?"

Lightning shrugged. "I guess so."

Noctis leaned over and pecked the tip of her nose. "Meet me in an hour. Go to the hall with the library, then take the first left after the doors. Down that corridor should be a dead end. The last door is where I want to meet. See you there?"

Lightning nodded. Both of them got dressed. Noctis didn't want Lightning to wear yesterday's clothing, so he asked a maid to have something waiting for her to pick up in a few minutes. They strolled out of Noctis' room. The prince planned to escort Lightning to where she would pick up her change of clothes.

Lightning said, "You'll be late if you take me there. I can find the way."

Noctis took her hand. "I'd rather be late than leave you early."

Noctis and Lightning didn't talk much as the inched down the long hallways. They simply enjoyed each other's company. Once they reached the doors, Noctis said, "One hour. You remember where to go?"

Lightning appeared annoyed. "Yes, you've told me a million times. I'll be there."

Noctis smiled. "Alright. See you then."

Later…

"Noctis. Prince Noctis? Noctis!" Noctis snapped out of his thoughts. "Huh, what?"

Solis sat next to Noctis at the head of the meeting table. "What are your thoughts?"

Noctis hadn't heard one word spoken throughout the whole fifty minutes of the meeting. He stuttered, "Uh, I'm, um… I agree completely."

Each noble's brows furrowed. Solis put his palm to his forehead. "Noctis, I asked if you would be prepared by tomorrow morning."

Noctis asked, "Prepared to go where?"

The whole room sighed in annoyance. Solis stood. "That will be all for today. You're all dismissed." Noctis immediately rose to leave. At this rate he would be early to meet Lightning. His father put a hand on his shoulder. "You, Noctis, will stay."

Noctis slouched in his chair, whishing the council members would hurry and leave so his father's lecture would be over sooner. The great doors closed. Solis began by saying, "You seem distracted."

Noctis said, "I have a lot on my mind." By a lot, he meant he thought of one thing, or person, all the time.

Solis said, "But you can't be scatter-brained during important times like this." The king noticed Noctis probably ignored him when he said that. Solis sighed, "You and I will be leaving for Tenebrae tomorrow morning. You will have to be ready by then. Be sure to have enough packed for a few days' stay."

Noctis mentally groaned. There went all of his time with Lightning for the next little while. "Why tomorrow?"

"I would have given you more time if you paid attention in the meeting." Noctis made a sheepish face. "What has gotten you so preoccupied anyway?"

Noctis bit his lip. He had left out all parts of his and Lightning's relationship when he explained where he was for the past months. "Well, a lot has been going on… and I… am just trying to make sense of it all."

Solis crossed his arms. He clearly didn't believe him. "Is it Lightning?"

Noctis was shocked he had figured it out so fast. Noctis stood. He put his back to his father. "Actually, yeah, it is."

"What is it about her that makes you so inattentive?"

Solis was taken aback when Noctis said, "It's… because I love her." Noctis paused. "We've been together for a long time. She… means more to me than anything else in the world. When I'm not with her, I can't think of anything or anyone else. She's just my… everything."

The king anticipated, "And you're needing to get back to her now?" Noctis sort of reminded him of himself when he met Noctis' mother. He was crazy for her.

Noctis answered, "Yeah."

"Then go. As long as you're ready for tomorrow."

Noctis was surprised at first. "Thank you, father." Noctis jogged out of the meeting hall.

Normally, Solis would dish out a longer lecture about Noctis' responsibility to his subjects or his need to learn how to rule the kingdom before he took the throne. But after hearing his proclamation of love to Lightning, Solis couldn't help but feel awful enough to let him go. After the decision he made, Solis knew Noctis wouldn't get to be with her. He would let his son enjoy his last moments with her.

Later

Noctis entered the music room. Instruments were strewn around, but the only one Noctis cared for was the piano in the center of the area. Lightning was looking at it curiously. She wore the replacement clothes Noctis gave her; a deep red, tight, V-neck shirt that showed off her bellybutton, complimented by a black miniskirt and black boots with a small heel. Noctis had learned about her sense of style while living with her. He knew exactly what she would be comfortable wearing. Except for the shirt that showed off her stomach. That was something for him.

She hadn't noticed him come in. He snuck up behind her, surprising her when he said, "You seem fascinated with the piano."

She said, "It's just… something that's always interested me."

Noctis gestured for her to sit down on the stool in front of the piano. He lifted the cover, revealing the ivory keys. He played each key as he instructed, "This is the A key. This is a D. And this one is a G." He had Lightning play each key after him. "And then when you play a few keys together," he hit several keys. "It makes a chord." Lightning's eyes were wide with excitement. Noctis laughed.

"What's so funny?" She became angry.

"You're just so amazed. Like a child watching their parents cook or something."

Lightning blushed and looked away. "No, I'm not."

Noctis put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. He stated, "This song was one of my mother's favorites." He placed his fingers on the keys, beginning a song he hadn't shown her before. He said it was called Somnus Nemoris. As he played, Lightning hugged his upper arm, feeling his biceps and resting her head on his shoulder. She listened intently. About half way through, when the song became really dramatic, Lightning just stared at his face. He was so focused on playing. Even so, he still looked peaceful.

After he finished, Noctis took Lightning into his arms. He kissed the top of her head, taking in the sweet scent of her hair. "I'm going away for a little bit."

Lightning pulled back. "Where?"

"I'll be going to Tenebrae. I'll be back in three days." Lightning said, "I have to be getting back to work anyway." Noctis ruffled her hair. "Don't be sad. I'll take you out when I get back."

"You don't have to take me anywhere."

"Don't try to talk me out of it. I'm going to take you out no matter what you say."

Lightning shook her head. "Whatever."

The next morning in the car to Tenebrae, Noctis couldn't keep a smile from his face. Prompto next to him said, "You look like a little kid in a candy factory, Noct."

Gladiolus said, "Since yesterday you've been overly happy."

Noctis simply said, "I just did something special. That's all."

From the driver's seat, Ignis asked, "Like what?"

Noctis stared out the window, a mischievous look coming to his face. "I won't tell."

Later…

The Tenebrae castle was exquisite, but not quite as elegant as Noctis' castle. As they stood outside, Noctis' father joined them. Noctis had noticed his father seemed down. "Father, is something troubling you?"

He looked down in, what seemed to be, shame. "You'll see soon enough." Before Noctis could ask him to explain, he heard a greeting coming from the castle doors. Before he knew it, he was thrown into a hug. Honey blonde hair flipped around. "It is so good to see you, Lord Noctis! How have you been?"

"It's nice to see you too, Stella."

She stepped back to let him go. "Hello to you all too, Prompto, Ignis, Gladiolus." She bowed to Solis. "And it is always a pleasure to see you, Your Majesty."

Noctis knew Princess Stella was always a very formal person, but they had been friends for a while. He had given up on asking her to drop the title, "Lord Noctis." Stella was already pulling the guys in while saying, "Come in! We have to catch up!"

She dragged them up to a sitting room, where they met Stella's father, the king of Tenebrae. Noctis gave a deep bow. "Your Majesty." The king nodded. "I hope you are excited for this upcoming event."

Noctis tilted his head. "With all due respect, I don't know what you're talking about."

Stella turned to Solis. "Didn't you tell him?"

"Tell me what?"

Solis changed the subject. "Let's talk business later. Right now we're here as friends."

Noctis tapped his father's shoulder. "What is she talking about?"

Solis said, "I'll tell you later." His voice was dismal.

Noctis looked over to Ignis, Gladiolus, and Prompto. Each one shrugged.

Stella suddenly pulled Noctis onto a chair. "Have I told you about the trip I took to the West Ocean?"

Noctis said, "Actually, no."

"It was fun! I wish you and the guys could have come."

Noctis smiled. "I think we've had our share of beaches. We visited one not too long ago." In fact, they lived near one. "But thanks for the offer."

Stella wasn't sure how to respond. His statement was normal, the classic Noctis answer. What was odd was his tone and his smile. Whenever they talked he was always glum. He was respectful, but he didn't seem too excited about anything. Now he looked… happy. "Noctis, are you alright?"

His expression didn't change. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

Stella figured he must have heard the news. She smiled. "Oh, never mind." She was glad he was so overjoyed by the event.

Later that afternoon, the king of Tenebrae asked, "You really didn't tell him, Solis?"

He shook his head.

Stella stood. "Well, we should do it now." She turned to Gladiolus, Prompto, and Ignis. "I want it to be a surprise for you three. Will you wait outside?"

They nodded. Solis was afraid of Noctis' reaction and didn't want to hurt Stella. "Will you wait with them? Prompto may break something if you don't entertain him."

Prompto made an appalled face. "Sure, let's go guys!" She hurried them out.

As Stella led the guys out, Solis whispered to Noctis, "Just know that I tried to avoid this. But it's our only choice. I'm sorry."

Outside, Prompto pouted, "I don't break everything."

Gladiolus countered, "No, but you break a lot of things."

"Shut up!"

Stella held up her hands. "Come on now. Can you get along while they talk?"

Ignis wondered, "What are they talking about anyway?"

Stella clapped her hands. "Like I said, it's a surprise. But I'm sure he'll be so happy!"

The doors burst open. Noctis angrily stomped out. His father was close at his heels. "Noctis, please, listen!" Noctis glanced at his friends. His eyes were blood red. He spun on his heels to leave. He ran down the hallway before disappearing.

Ignis asked, "What's wrong?"

Solis said, "I made a mistake."

Puzzled, Gladiolus asked, "What is the news, Stella?"

The three men's eyes widened in horror as she explained.

Noctis sat against the wall, slamming his fist into the ground. 'I promised. I promised… we would be together. I told her I would always be by her side.'

Noctis could feel his eyes burning. His emotions were causing his powers to act up. He didn't care. His agony kept him from caring about anything.

He could only think of all of the promises he was breaking. 'I said… we'd be together… forever… I guess… forever isn't as long as I thought.'

Noctis put his head in his hands. "Lightning… I'm so sorry."

Meanwhile…

Lightning looked up from her dirty dishes. She stared out the kitchen window, out to the evening sky. Serah noticed her change in behavior. "What's wrong, Light?"

The soldier shook her head. "Nothing. Just… had a feeling." She couldn't help but feel like something was wrong. Something seemed horribly wrong. And somehow Lightning thought it had something to do with Noctis.


	24. Chapter 24: Happy?

**Chapter 24 – Happy?**

Lightning rolled her eyes. Her friends were bickering. It started out as usual; Snow and Fang fought about some stupid subject, the others would pick a side, and Serah or Vanille would try to settle everyone down. Fang normally won hers and Snow's disputes quickly, since he was a little afraid of her and her aggressive nature. This dispute, however, was taking a long time to end. Lightning didn't bother listening. She knew it was pointless.

She stared at the castle gates, praying they would open soon. They all had gathered to welcome Noctis and his friends back from Tenebrae. She had missed him while he was gone. Only she still felt strange.

Yesterday her gut suddenly told her something was wrong. The off feeling hadn't dissipated since. Lightning was worried that something may have happened to him. She touched her necklace. She cursed Noctis for not getting here there faster and setting her heart at ease.

There was a loud click. The castle gates opened. The group stopped arguing. Two black cars were pulling up. Prompto and Gladiolus shouted greeting as Ignis climbed out. Solis came from another car, probably his private vehicle. Lightning's attitude brightened when Noctis stepped out. Then she became bemused when a blonde woman followed him.

Fang called over to Noctis, "Hey, Noct?"

The prince turned his attention to the crowd. "What do you think, Pretty Boy? Are chocobos cuter than moogles?"

His brow furrowed. "Why?"

Snow explained, "Because Fang thinks chocobos are cuter than moogles." He faced Fang. "Which is untrue."

"Of course it is, you Nudnik!"

As expected, Prompto exclaimed, "No way! Chocobos!"

Fang gloated, "See? He knows what he's talking about."

Gladiolus disagreed, "But Prompto's not the sharpest tool in the shed." Prompto gave him an offended look. "Moogles are cuter." Snow high-fived Gladiolus.

Fang shouted, "Hell no!"

Gladiolus countered, "How can you not adore how they say 'kupo' all the time?"

Prompto pointed out, "But chocobos kweh, which is not as annoying as hearing the word 'kupo' every five frigging minutes! What does that even mean anyway?"

Snow looked to Ignis. "Chocobos or moogles?"

Ignis pushed up his glasses. "I'll be neutral."

Fang glared at Noctis to answer. The prince said, "Ditto."

Snow turned to the blonde girl. "What do you…" He paused. "Wait a minute. I don't know you…" She stared at him awkwardly. Snow threw his hands up. "Ah, what the hell. Moogles or chocobos?"

She giggled. "Moogles."

Fang slapped her forehead. Vanille came up to them. "Is this a friend, Noctis?" Stella wondered why she addressed him so informally. Even she, who was a royal as well, called him lord.

He nodded. Gesturing to her, Noctis introduced, "This is Princess Stella Nox Fleuret, of Tenebrae."

Snow was wide eyed. "Oops. Was I supposed to bow or something?"

This time Noctis slapped his forehead.

Stella laughed, "Oh, don't worry. It's not necessary, Mr.…"

"Snow. Snow Villiers."

Stella shook hands with Snow. "Pleased to meet you, Snow."

Noctis plainly went down the line, telling Stella his friends' names. She understood why they weren't formal with him. She guessed they were close.

Noctis didn't see Lightning. He knew she must have been off on the sidelines somewhere. A part of him was glad, since he wanted to see her. But it would hurt.

Snow said, "Wait, you haven't seen Light." Noctis just about punched him in the face to keep him quiet. Those two meeting would result in disaster.

Serah said, "Yeah, that's right." She turned around and waved her over. "Sis! Come on!"

Time seemed to slow as she walked over to Noctis. He had the urge to hug and kiss her hello. But he also couldn't. Not after what had happened in Tenebrae.

Noctis muttered, "Uh, hey, Light…"

She just nodded.

"Stella, this is Lightning."

Stella held out her hand to shake. Lightning did nothing until Stella let her arm fall back to her side. "Oh, well, I'm happy to meet you, Lightning."

"Right."

Fang laughed in the background, "Sorry, she doesn't talk much."

Solis finally spoke. "Let's all go inside. It's rather warm out here."

As they went in, Fang confronted Noctis. She had noticed he seemed sadder. Almost depressed. "What's up with you, Pretty Boy?"

Irritated by her nickname, the one she refused to let go of, he responded, "I don't know what you mean."

"Yeah, you do. I can tell you're upset about something. So spill it before I beat it out of you."

Noctis hesitated. "You'll see later."

"Tell me now."

"I can't."

Fang pushed, "Why not?"

"…It hurts."

Fang grabbed his shoulder. The others walked forward as she questioned, "Wait, what do you mean it hurts?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Noctis, tell me now!"

He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted. Stella ran over, saying, "Come on! King Caelum is going to announce it now!"

She grabbed his arm and pulled him away, leaving Fang's questions unanswered.

Meanwhile…

Lightning stood with the rest of the gang. She wanted to talk to Noctis, especially about her bad feeling. Only she had to do it in private. She noticed he seemed sad too. Prompto came over to her. He leaned on the wall at her side. "Yo."

Lightning nodded. "Have you talked to Noctis?"

Prompto shrugged. "Since we got back? Not much."

Lightning felt a little jealous when she said, "He's been too busy with Stella."

Prompto felt bad. He knew what was coming. Noctis had to tell her now before she figured it out the hard way. He became serious. "Noctis has something he needs to tell you."

Lightning raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Stella was pulling Noctis along when Prompto stole him from the princess. "I need to borrow him for a second,'kay?"

Prompto put him in front of Lightning. He whispered, "Tell her. It's better she hears it from you." He patted his friend's shoulder and left.

They stared at each other for a minute. Noctis couldn't help but admire her features in the meantime. Lightning broke the silence. "What do you need to tell me?"

Noctis looked down. "I…" He couldn't look at her. Stella called from a distance, "We're announcing it now! Hurry!" She was already coming over to get him.

Noctis turned and quickly begged, "Please, forgive me. I tried to stop this, but I haven't succeeded. Just promise you'll let me explain." Stella started to drag him away.

Lightning followed, scared out of her mind about what he was trying to say. "What? Why are you so frantic?"

He apologized, "I'm so sorry, Light." He was pushed onto a balcony. Solis was in front of a camera. Lightning guessed that was where most public announcements were made. Noctis and Stella stood next to him. What bothered her was Stella hugging Noctis' arm. Clinging to it would be a better description. What was going on?

Solis spoke into a microphone. Lightning assumed the camera put him on some news show or something. He said, "Citizens, I have great news." He didn't appear too happy about this even himself. "A marriage is on its way. One that will bind two royals together, combining our kingdom with another."

Lightning became nervous. Her breathing was unbalanced. Her heart raced. This wasn't looking good. Noctis had been apologizing like crazy earlier. Stella was a princess. A royal wedding. It couldn't be true…

The king continued. "My son, Noctis Lucis Caelum, and the Princess of Tenebrae, Stella Nox Fleuret, are to be wed very soon."

All eyes behind the three nobles turned to Lightning. Her face was the epitome of pain. She turned in rejection, walking away from the balcony. As the king was asking Noctis to say a few words, Noctis ran off after Lightning. Solis quickly ended the broadcast. Stella tried to go after him, but the king asked her to stay.

Lightning hadn't gone too far when Noctis reached her. Her other friends were near too. "Lightning, wait! Please!"

He grabbed her wrist. She harshly took her arm back. Noctis expected her to be angry at him. He deserved it. He wanted her to scream and yell at him for what he would be doing to her. He needed her to hate him so when he was married she wouldn't be in pain. But he was wrong. She turned to him with her eyes full of sadness. "Congratulations. I'm happy for you."

Noctis felt his heart shatter into a million pieces. He knew she lied. He knew she was torn apart. Now he wanted to take her in his arms and never let her go. But she ran away. Lightning was strong, but he had hurt her so much. He had broken his promise; his promise to always be with her. She was so afraid to be hurt in the end by their relationship. He had comforted her.

His words were worth nothing now. It was all ruined. She was the one person who had made him truly happy. Now she was gone. Noctis had given up many things for his kingdom. But out of anything else they could take from him, why did it have to be her? If he was stripped of any possession he had, or maybe every possession, he wouldn't mind as long as he had her.

The others walked over to him. Trinko took his shoulder. "Noctis…"

Stella pushed through. "Noctis," She grabbed his arm. "What is—"

Noctis roughly shoved her off. He uttered, "Just… leave me alone."

He took a few steps forward before teleporting somewhere else. Serah headed in the direction Lightning went. Gladiolus said, "Where are you going?"

She answered, "I have to get Light!"

Vanille followed her. Fang did the same. Snow, Hope, and Gladiolus went one way to find Noctis. The other men went another. Stella and Solis were the only ones left. Stella asked, "Your Majesty, this is supposed to be a happy time. Why does everyone seem so upset?"

Solis knew this was entirely his fault. If only he fought harder to abolish the idea of forcing his son into marriage. He lied, "I don't know, Stella."

Fang, Vanille, and Serah ended up in a garden. Lightning was there, leaning against a wall. Serah jogged over. "Light!"

"Go away." Her voice was emotionless.

Vanille said, "But Lightning…"

"I said go!" She looked up at them. Tears were welling up in her eyes. They could tell she was trying to hold them back. Serah embraced Lightning. "I'm so sorry, Sis." Serah thought, 'What has she done to deserve this?'

Vanille and Fang came by to help comfort her. Fang had never seen Lightning this torn apart. But she knew everyone had their limits. And Lightning had definitely reached her emotional limit.

Serah felt awful. It was the first time Lightning let someone get close to her, and that person even shared her feelings. Now fate would tear them apart.

Noctis punched the wall with all of his might. His teeth were clenched. He couldn't believe this was happening.

She said she was happy. She said, "Congratulations." All the while she was hurt and in pain. She didn't even want to hear him explain.

'Is this it?' Noctis couldn't face that they might be over. "No… not like this." He wouldn't part with her this way. Hell, he wouldn't part with her at all! Noctis told himself, "I swear, I'm not going through with this, Light. I'll get us back together no matter what." His confidence faded. "But how…?"

He heard footsteps coming his way. "Noctis!"

'Great. The_ last _person I want to see!' Stella came behind him. "Noctis, what's wrong"

He didn't respond.

She put a hand on his back. "Aren't you happy?"

Noctis angrily moved away and turned to her. "You think I'm happy?"

Lightning flashed into his mind. "I'm happy for you."

He was enraged that she would think he was perfectly fine with the situation. "Noctis, I don't understand."

He blew up. He felt his eyes burning red. His emotions were making his powers act up. "What don't you understand? You're okay with all of this while I don't get any say in the matter! Did anyone ever think that I should have been the one to make the decision!"

Stella was afraid. She had never seen him so upset. "I'm sorry, Noctis. When I thought of this I—"

Noctis interrupted, "Wait." He took a step closer, forcing her to move back. The volume of his voice increased as he said, "You mean this was all your idea?"

Stella trembled. "I-I'm sorry. Our troops were fighting each other and our kingdoms lost trust. We had to fix it somehow and…"

Noctis forced, "And _what?_!"

She whispered, "I wanted to be with you."

Noctis was still furious. "So you think that makes me feel _any_ better?" He spun on his heels and left. Stella didn't follow. "Don't worry. You'll warm up to our marriage soon enough… I'll be sure of it."

He had to find Lightning. But he knew if she found out he was looking for her she would avoid him even more. Noctis sighed. He knew where he should go. But would she go there too?

Later…

Lightning walked along the fields. The tall grass brushed against her boots. The afternoon sky was growing dark with rain clouds. She didn't know why she was going there. Something in her just made her go. Maybe it was related to his plea for her to hear him out.

The winds were picking up, making Lightning's bangs whip her face. She didn't mind the disturbance. She was too busy thinking; too busy wondering if he would be there. The watchman's post was their special spot.

Lightning hadn't bothered taking a chocobo that far from the castle. She wanted to take her time getting there. She had been walking for some time, lost in her thoughts the whole way. She could finally see the post. But she stopped.

A black chocobo was already sitting there, its legs tucked under its feathered body. Noctis sat on the ground next to him. Lightning panicked. She didn't know if she wanted to confront him yet. But she knew she had to. Cinis suddenly looked her direction. She rushed behind a tree. It was barely thick enough to hide her. From his direction, Lightning could hear Noctis say, "What is it, Cinis?"

Lightning froze for a few moments until Noctis scoffed, "Stupid bird, it's just the wind." She peeked around the trunk. Noctis sighed and stood. Cinis came up with him. He scratched the bird's neck as he said, "We've been waiting for a long time. How long, four hours?" Why was he waiting? What was he waiting for?

Noctis began walking away from the post. He took Cinis' reins. "Looks like she's not coming." Cinis kweed at him sadly. He walked past the tree Lightning was behind. She stared at him as he left. She wanted to follow. Her heart told her to go, but her body wouldn't move.

She stepped out when he was out of her view.

Later…

Lightning strode through the castle corridors. She finally returned to the estate. She had decided to talk to Noctis and hopefully get everything straightened out. Just one problem: He was MIA.

No one had seen him since he left. She wouldn't give up though. But wandering through the endless hallways wasn't getting her anywhere.

Frustrated, Lightning turned around swiftly enough to see a head duck behind a statue. Irritated, she approached the statue. Of course, the blonde idiot would be there. Prompto looked up at her casually. "Hiya!"

"Why were you following me?"

Still crouched down, Prompto responded, "Serah asked me to see if you were okay, but I didn't know how to talk to you without hurting your feelings. So, I figured I'd tail you until I found something to say."

"That doesn't make sense."

"To me it does."

Of course it made sense to him. He was a moron sometimes. "You think I would be fragile enough to where words could 'hurt my feelings.'?"

"Hey, better safe than sorry."

She gave up trying to comprehend his logic. "Where's Noctis?'

Prompto shrugged. "Dunno."

"Tell me now."

"I don't know."

Lightning pulled him up by his hair, grabbing fistfuls of his blonde locks. He whimpered as she threatened, "Tell me where he is before I kill you!" She held up her fist to make her remark seem legit. In reality, she wasn't in the mood to get so worked up.

Prompto held his hands in front of his face. "Wait! Wait! Wait! Just listen for a sec!"

Lightning released him. He stood, holding his head. "Oww! That frigging hurt, dammit!"

One look from Lightning told him to start talking. "Okay, okay. Like I said, I don't know where he is."

Lightning growled, "Then why did you say—"

"Hold on." Prompto pulled a pen and scrap of paper from his pocket. "I don't know exactly where he is," Prompto scribbled something onto the slip. He was writing an address she didn't recognize. "But I do know where he might be." He handed her the paper. She scanned what he had scribed. What shocked her was the name of the location he was telling her to go to. "The Royal Cemetery?"

He nodded. "Yeah. He goes there… when he wants to see his mother."

Later…

Rain pelted her head. The setting sun was hidden behind gloomy grey clouds. The pouring weather made the streets wet and slippery. Lightning looked around for the address Prompto gave her. But to no avail. Before she was ready to give up, a sign caught her eye. It was old and rusted. But the text on it was clear. She found the cemetery. Now what?

An arch served as the entrance to the field. Tombstones could be seen for miles. A boulder with words carved in it was near her. She read a few lines. "The Royal Cemetery is the home of the dead souls of past kings, queens, ministers, council members, and princes or princesses who didn't live long enough to take power. Thousands of graves lie here, each one full of respect for our past leaders." She didn't bother reading more. It didn't interest her right now.

She walked along a cement path that wound throughout the whole area. She scanned the rows and rows of tombstones to find any face. She saw something odd; Spikey black hair that slumped from the wet precipitation. She went down the line to meet him. He didn't see her come up. He sat in front of a tombstone. The name read "Luna Amare Caelum."

"Is this your mother?"

Noctis looked up. His face slightly brightened at her voice. "Lightning… yes, she is."

Lightning sat down next to him. A small smile tugged at his lips. "You see, mother? This is the girl I told you about. She's beautiful, isn't she?"

Lightning blushed. His compliments always warmed her heart. She found it odd that he was talking to a tombstone, but she recalled doing the same when she was a child. Her tone was emotionless. "We need to talk about this."

Noctis shifted his position to face her. He took her shoulders. His voice was full of angst and regret. "Lightning, I'm so sorry. I'm trying to stop this. But just know… I'd rather be with you than Stella. She's a friend, but nothing more."

"That's not what I wanted to say."

Noctis became confused. What was she thinking? "Then what?'

She paused. "I'm going home soon. And… I won't come back."

Noctis' breathing hastened. "But… but Lightning, why would you…"

"Don't you see? This is what's best for the kingdom. I won't get in the way of your duties."

"But I don't want to do what's best! I want you."

Lightning didn't want to be this stern, but she didn't want to have this conversation drag on for so long. "Noctis, this isn't going to work. You're engaged now so I can't be with you. Therefore, there's no point in staying this world."

Noctis' world was losing all color at this depressing fact. "But I'm going to fight this. I can't lose you. I don't care what the consequences are." He pulled her close, burying his head in her wet hair. Lightning noticed he was soaked. He must have been here for a while. He pulled back to kiss her. Lightning turned her head away.

"Noctis, this isn't right."

Noctis didn't understand why she was being so passive about this. "Why aren't you doing anything? I'm trying to get out of this and you act like I have to go through with it all."

Lightning snapped back, "Because I don't want to drag you down."

"You're not dragging me down! I just need you to help me."

Her voice was raised. "How can I do anything? I don't have any say in this!"

He yelled back, "You can at least help everyone see that I don't want to do this! Maybe then my father can cancel the marriage and we can be together."

"And what are the chances of that?"

Noctis huffed. "You're making it sound like you don't care."

Lightning turned away. "I do care. But I know you'll get blamed for anything that will happen between your kingdom and Tenebrae because of a sudden cancellation. Not only that but if anyone sees us together they'll think you're a sleazy two-timer. Do you want your people to think that? Who knows how the citizens will react?"

"I don't care about that though."

"Noctis, you're acting like a child."

"And you're acting like this isn't a big deal."

She stood. "Noctis, this is getting us nowhere."

He rose. "It's because you're being stubborn!

"You're being stubborn!"

"You're being insensitive towards my feelings about this!"

"I am not! I'm just trying to help you do what's best!"

"This isn't what's best!"

"Then what is?"

"Us staying together!"

Lightning looked down. "But that's impossible now."

"No it is not! If you will at least try to keep us together then it wouldn't be!"

"So now this is my fault?"

Noctis realized that was a bad choice of words. "That's not what I meant!"

"Then what did you mean?"

"I was trying to say that you have to take some responsibility!"

"For what!"

"For us! I can't do this without you! You're negative attitude isn't helping at all!"

"Excuse me! I'm not being negative! I'm just stating the facts!"

"Facts? Are you saying it's a fact that I have to marry Stella?"

"It might as well be. That blonde haired wonder is all over you all the time!"

"What do I do about it!"

"How about stop her?"

"I've tried! Why is it that anything I'm trying to do here isn't enough for you?"

Lightning didn't answer. Her mind went blank after that. She turned her back toward him. Noctis felt bad for that. "Light, I didn't mean that. I'm just angry. I'm sorry."

Still silent. Noctis put his hand on her arm. "Light?..."

"Maybe this is a good thing."

Noctis' brow furrowed. "What?"

"Maybe this will give us a break… from each other. You know, rethink 'us.'"

"But Lightning!"

She ran off, the rain blurring making Noctis feel even more depressed. He couldn't rip his eyes from her as she left him. Noctis looked back to his mother's tombstone. "What do I do…?"

Things were about to get uglier. A certain princess had finally discovered why Noctis didn't want to be with her. She would have to talk with her competition…

Later…

Noctis, soaked to the bone, dripped water as he headed for his room. Only someone else has snuck up on him. "You're troubled."

Noctis slowly turned around. His father was there. He said sarcastically, "What makes you think that?"

The king took a few steps closer. "I know how you feel—"

"No, you don't!"

Solis sighed. "Noctis, I know you may not want this, but it's what's right."

"How? How the hell is this right?" Noctis was now yelling at his father. "This has done nothing but cause trouble for me. The worst part is that you knew how I felt about Lightning but still forced me into this!"

"This is the best decision for the kingdoms, Noctis. The alliance we had with Tenebrae is fading because of Cladis' invasion. Our citizens have lost trust in our most valuable ally. This is the only way to eliminate their fears of Tenebrae. What better way than to combine our kingdoms?"

Noctis couldn't believe his words. "I don't care about any of that!" Solis was surprised by that. "Father, I have given up almost everything for the kingdom! My privacy, my ability to go outside without being swarmed! No one is comfortable around me because of my title! I have to act differently in public so I don't ruin my image! I can't make any friends because I don't know if anyone I talk to likes me for me or for my money and power!

"The worst part is that none of the advantages of royal life excite me! I care for the kingdom, but I don't want to give up my whole life for it! Lightning was…" her name stung. "She was the one thing that made me happy! But now I can't even have her because of the damn kingdom!"

Solis listened intently. He had no idea he felt this way. "Noctis, what's done is done."

"Can't you call it off!"

"Not without the king of Tenebrae's consent."

"You don't sound like you care about how I feel."

"I do. But this is the right decision."

Noctis calmed. "'The right decision isn't always the best decision. The best decision is always the one that follows your heart.' What happened to that saying, father?"

Solis flinched at his wife's words. He had nothing to say. He knew his son was completely right. Noctis stomped down the hallway. No one dared to disturb him later.

Later…

Lightning stood in her guest room. She was gathering a few things before heading back home. Only she wasn't sure if she would actually never come back after going. She sighed. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a voice said, "You're upset, Lightning."

Lightning put her hand on her gunblade. She moved into her battle position as she observed the intruder. The Blonde haired wonder was across from her. "What are you doing in here?"

Stella wasn't the princess everyone thought she was. "You and I need to talk. So, Slut, how should we begin? Why I think you're a bitch or how I plan to send you to hell?"

Author's Note:

I'm REALLY sorry that things have been boring. I know you all probably saw the forced marriage coming, but I wanted to get the emotions of the characters in there so you could feel what they were feeling. I promise the next chapter will pick up and things will get more interesting.

The next chapter will be up soon. But the story is about over. At most, ten more chapters will be posted, but possibly less than that. I have started another story that I will begin posting after More Than a Myth is finished.

Thank you all SO much for the reviews and for reading! It makes me happy to know you like my fic!


	25. Chapter 25: Humans

**Chapter 25 – Humans…**

Lightning stared at Stella as she said those words. So, she faked the polite princess act and was actually less respectable. "Excuse me?"

"Don't play dumb, you bitch! You're the reason my Noctis is so upset. If you weren't in the picture he wouldn't be so torn apart."

That stung. She glared. "And you're not what everyone thinks you are."

She giggled evilly. "I have two ways to get what I want; I can act all innocent and sweet, or…" She took a few steps closer. "I can show a little force."

"It would be awful for you if the public would see how you really are."

Stella laughed. "After spending years building up this reputation of mine, no one would believe you, now would they?" Her expression became stern. "I suggest you listen up. In my position, I could have you jailed, or even killed, with a snap of my fingers. Better yet, no one would question my reasoning."

"I believe you. You pass off for the typical snake in the grass. Or, in this case, a _skank_ in the grass."

Her eyes narrowed. "How _dare_ you speak to me in such a manner!" She crossed her arms. "I'm getting tired of this. Just do everyone a favor and stay away from my Noctis."

She referred to his a property. Lightning felt a scream building up in her. A scream that would shut the princess up. Noctis had his own feelings. She was not one to decide what he did and didn't do. If she believed otherwise, Lightning would have to fix that. If Noctis had to be stuck with her, not that Lightning wanted him to be, Stella would treat him with respect.

Lightning's fists were clenched. "You son of a—"

"Oh no," Stella said, putting on an innocent face and tone. "Don't get too angry. Don't you know what everyone would think if your hurt Tenebrae's _beloved_ princess?" She went back to her smug look. "Face it; you can't touch me. You can't hurt me, you can't even talk back to me without receiving punishment from my servants."

Lightning wanted so badly to shoot her face off with her saber. "Why are you acting like this is exactly like you planned?"

"Because I _did_ plan it all."

Lightning furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

Stella paced as she explained, her heels clicking against the stone floors. "It's simple, really. I wanted Noctis." Again with the calling him her property. "I took advantage of Cladis' invasion to get him. Our kingdoms never had any distrust between each other. We have been allies for years. That is, until I started having rumors spread about the kingdoms invading each other. Our soldiers don't want to work together after hearing that." She stopped pacing, her shoes clicking loudly one last time. She grinned, "The kings wouldn't want any fights breaking out, so they were desperate enough to accept my idea about our merger. So I get Noctis and power over another kingdom."

Lightning grew angrier as she spoke. "You… you can't do that!"

"Watch me."

Lightning had to stop her. She was being unfair to Noctis. If she acted this way towards him his life would be a living hell. She couldn't let him go through that. "And if I tell Noctis, your plan is ruined."

Stella's grin widened. "Again, with my reputation, he wouldn't believe you. And… I could just as easily make up a story to make you seem like the bad guy."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"Like… how about you're a spy who only got close to him to find out more about the crystal."

He had seen where she was from. There was no way she could be a spy. Because of her origin, Stella probably couldn't make up any story about her. "He knows I don't have any interest in the crystal."

"Or you wanted his money."

"I work for my own money. I don't need his."

"How about… That girl… what was her name?... Serah, wasn't it?"

Lightning flinched. If she laid a hand on her she would be digging her own grave.

"She is your sister, correct? It would be awful if I decided to have her taken away to prison, or worse…"

"Don't you touch her!"

The princess turned to leave. "Then keep your nose out of things." The princess' heels could be heard as she walked down the corridor.

That… That viper! She set up everything to benefit her without any concern for Noctis! She couldn't just let her lover marry this witch. He had to know the truth.

Noctis sat on his throne. The dark room secluded him in darkness. Only a little moonlight illuminated the room. His elbow was propped up on the arm of the chair. His head rested on his knuckles. Ignis entered, holding a clipboard. "It's time you start getting ready."

Noctis grumbled, "I don't want to go to the stupid banquet."

"It's a party for your wedding. You have to go."

Noctis stood silently. Ignis sensed his discomfort. "The others are coming."

"Who?"

"Fang, Vanille, Snow… But none of them are dressing up. They'll be there for a little bit before going home.

Noctis didn't want them to go. Them leaving meant she would leave. And Noctis couldn't watch her go. Not now, not ever. He sighed. "Fine."

His suit was itchy. It was uncomfortable. He would much rather crawl into his bed and sleep through this hell. If only his chatty fiancé would leave him be. Stella wouldn't get away from him. She annoyingly stuck to his side like a fly suck to honey. She had never been this clingy before. Now he was getting sick of her. He didn't bother listening to what she was jabbering about. He was thinking of ways to get out of this marriage. So far… nothing had come up.

He couldn't lose Lightning. She was the light of his life, the color to his rainbow, the… peanut to his butter? Whatever, no cliché saying could express how much he cared for her. There was no way he would give up so easily.

Fang, Trinko, Snow, Serah, Hope, Sazh, and Vanille were around in their usual wear. They were only there to say goodbye to the guys before going home… and the food. Of course, the food. Lightning, however, hadn't shown up. Noctis feared that she had already returned home. He was worrying himself.

Stella realized Noctis had neglected her. "Noctis, have you heard a word I've said?"

The prince shrugged uncaringly.

Stella huffed, "Noctis, why won't you listen to me?"

Noctis didn't answer.

In a sweet tone, she cooed, "Noctis, why don't you relax?" she prepared to comfort him further, but he walked off. Stella's face grew red with anger. She saw what he was walking towards. Lightning had finally arrived.

Noctis was excited to see her. He was scared that she had left for good. "I honestly didn't think you'd come."

She was serious. "I wasn't planning to. We need to talk."

Many men feared those words from their girlfriend. "Why?"

Lightning noticed Stella watching. "Not here."

"What's wrong?"

Lightning whispered, "It's about the evil blonde-haired wonder."

"Evil? I thought you liked Prompt."

Lightning growled, "Not him! A certain fiancé of yours!"

Now his curiosity was piqued. "What's going on?"

"Come on. We—"

Shrieks were heard as one of the ballroom walls burst open. A behemoth roared in fury as other monsters ran in. Everyone panicked. What were monsters doing running amok anyway?

Good think Lightning and her friends weren't dressed up, or else fighting would have been a pain in the ass. Lightning drew her gunblade, killing the behemoth with a few well-placed shots. She and the others sprang into action.

Stella was amazed at Lightning's skill. She was almost afraid of what Lightning could have done to her when she threatened her earlier. Lightning jumped up to a large wolf, preparing to strike. It swiped at her. She flew backwards. She would have tumbled across the ground if she hadn't stuck her blade into the floor and caught her footing. Then she leapt up, slashed the wolf's head and landed neatly on her feet behind the fallen creature.

The others joined in as well. Each former L'Cie couldn't use their eidolons or magic when they fought. In this world, Noctis was the only one who could use magic and eidolons didn't exist. They would have a lot of explaining to do if they were discovered. None of them wanted that. Especially if it caused any trouble for the kingdom. They had enough to worry about with the whole forced marriage going on.

As the group obliterated the monsters, they gathered around to shout to each other. Snow yelled, "Where are they all coming from?"

Hope responded, "How should we know?"

Trinko assumed, "They could be from Niflheim."

Gladiolus clarified, "These aren't from native to there. And these look like the ones that are being studied at some of our research labs."

As if on cue, soldiers ran in, avoiding the monster carcasses. One warned, "Prince! These monsters have escaped from the third research lab! A guard forgot to lock the cages!"

Fang intervened, "Hold up! You mean to tell me all of this is caused by some dumbasses' idiocy?"

The guard was frightened by her aggressive tone. "I-It appears so."

Serah planned, "We have to close the gates so no more monsters will come out!"

Prompto said, "She's right! There's no telling how many more could escape. I've been to that lab. It's loaded with nasties!" Lightning was already headed for the lab. "Hey, wait!"

Vanille and Snow followed her. There was no way they would let her go alone. Apparently, Light had been near the lab before, since she knew exactly where she was going.

The lab wasn't too far from the castle. It was obvious it was the source of the monsters. There were guards struggling to keep the beasts under control. Lightning, on the other hand, flew by.

Vanille and Snow had trouble keeping up while fighting the crowd, but they ended up at steel gates that were ten feet tall and wide open. Lightning ordered, "Snow, hold them back while Vanille and I close the gates!"

Snow found a few fallen boxed nearby and got a mischievous smile. "I've got a better idea!" He held up a stick of dynamite and a match in his hands. What a research lab was doing with explosives was beyond them, but it was came in handy for this. They just hoped they weren't building any devastating bombs.

Snow threw the lit stick through the gates, sending smoke everywhere. The flow of monsters stopped. After that explosion, the monsters that were close to it died and the ones farther back were blinded. Quickly, Vanille and Lightning shut the gates. One of the nearby guards input a code to a keypad on the doors to activate the lockdown. Multiple locks activated along the doors.

The guard thanked them for their bravery. Vanille was heading for the exit. "Come on! We have to get rid of the baddies that are still in the city!"

Snow nodded. "Right!"

But more trouble was on the way. One of the monsters roared behind the gate. The vibrations made the already weakened walls crumble. Bits of the walls fell. Lightning saw a few soldiers under the falling rubble. She dashed over to them, pushing them out of the way. She was too slow to get herself out of the way. She would be crushed.

Without thinking, she casted blizzard above her. Only, that just made things worse. First, she wasn't supposed to use her powers here. Second, the ice froze the rocks in place as they fell, forming a dome around her. With a wall blocking one side and frozen rocks enclosing her other, she was trapped.

She heard Vanille and Snow call over, "Lightning! Are you alright?"

She felt so stupid! She couldn't use more magic to get out. The other soldiers were probably suspicious enough after freezing the rocks. And there was no way she could get Odin in here without attracting attention. How would she get out? "I'm fine! Don't worry about me! Go help the others!"

Snow opposed. "There's no way we're leaving you here!" Snow started banging at the ice. Even with his strength, he couldn't break it all away without spending weeks on it. Vanille stopped him. "Lightning, just wait here! We'll be back with help!" Without another word, she dragged Snow to get back to the castle.

"Noctis!" The prince turned to the red haired girl. The monsters at the castle had been taken care of and multiple soldier units had been assigned to find the rest. Vanille and Snow rushed to him. "Noctis! You have to come now!"

Noctis eagerly asked, "What happened? Where's Light?"

Snow's voice was filled with urgency. "She's trapped! We have to save her!"

Noctis was already running out. The others followed. Sazh called, "How the hell did she get trapped?"

Vanille said, "Rocks were going to crush her, so she tried to freeze them with magic. But now she's trapped in the ice and rocks. The worst part is there are too many people around for her to just use Odin to get out!"

Prompto cursed, "Dammit! This is all caused by some idiot's mistake!"

Hope said, "Then let's hurry before things get worse!"

They made it to the lab, where Noctis could see Lightning's prison. "Lightning!"

The soldier's voice came through the ice. "Noctis? Get out of here! I can get out myself! You take care of the rest of the monsters!"

"There's no way I'm leaving you here!"

Lightning glared at him from her chamber. "Dammit, Noctis! I'll be fine!"

Noctis' tone grew sad. "But… I'm not leaving you behind… not for anything."

Lightning didn't think he was talking about her imprisonment anymore. She knew he was talking about how their relationship may end. She looked down. "Noctis… don't worry about me. I… I won't drag you down."

Noctis was stern. "Quit saying that! You don't drag me down! You keep me going!"

Lightning was shocked. He seriously cared for her that much? She wasn't sure what to do anymore. Noctis had a duty to carry out, and that was to ensure his kingdom's safety, even if that meant marrying someone else. But she was in the way of that. She dragged him down. She kept him from carrying out his responsibilities.

But not in his eyes. In his, she was his strength. He could live through anything if he knew he could come back to her. Losing her would mean losing his strength, hope, happiness… she never kept him down, she made him want to reach his full potential.

Noctis couldn't stand her silence any longer. He yelled, "Take a few steps back. Stay away from the walls." She complied. Noctis looked around to the confused scientists and guards. "Everyone go! That's an order!" They all left without a second thought. Only his friends from both worlds were still there. Noctis advised, "You all may want to stand back. Better safe than sorry." They nodded and took a few steps away from him.

The prince extended his hand. In a flash, his blades appeared around him, encircling him. With a swift movement of his arm, the weapons dispersed. Using careful movements, he made the swords teleport to the inside of Lightning's cage. Then, doing his best to not harm her, he had the blades stab through the walls, destroying them, setting her free.

Noctis immediately dismissed his power. He went to Lightning and took her in his arms. She hugged him back.

Noctis stepped away. He tapped her arms and face, inspecting for any wounds. "Are you hurt? Do you feel okay? I didn't hurt you, did I? Can you get back alright?"

Lightning hushed his frantic attitude by saying, "Don't worry. I'm fine, really."

Noctis embraced her again. "I was so scared when Vanille and Snow came. I thought… I was going to lose you."

Lightning sighed. "You worry too much."

Noctis let her go again, a smile gracing his lips. Embarrassed that all of her friends had seen that, Lightning got back to business. "We need to get rid of the rest of the monsters. There are still some about."

Noctis shook his head. "The guards are taking care of it."

Gladiolus but in. "You should take it easy."

Ignis finished, "Yeah, you fought pretty hard out there. You need some rest."

Lightning saw she was outnumbered in the decision. "Fine."

Lightning sat on an infirmary bed, engulfed in the warmth of Noctis' jacket. He had given it to her on their way back. He never stopped thinking about her. It drove Lightning insane sometimes. She didn't want him to be bothered by her so much.

Noctis sat down next to her. He never took his eyes off of her since he saved her from her earlier predicament. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Lightning grunted, "For the _last_ time, I am perfectly fine."

Noctis chuckled. He was teasing her. The bastard. He reached over and touched her face. "I'm glad."

Lightning looked away. "Noctis, we shouldn't…"

"But Lightning, I don't care. I don't care about Stella, I care about you!"

Lightning's head snapped up. "Wait, where is Stella?"

Noctis was confused by her concern. "She's with some guards back at her guest room, nowhere near here. Why?"

Lightning knew she may be risking a lot by telling him, but Stella wasn't close by and didn't have to know. "Noctis, she's not what you think."

"What are you talking about? I've known Stella for years. I think I would understand her character by now."

Lightning stood. "No, she's different. She's a lying, conniving, snobby bitch."

Noctis stood with her. "I don't understand. Where is all of this coming from?"

"Noctis, the whole arranged marriage thing? She set it up. She planned it all out to get you and the power over your kingdom."

"How do you know this?"

"She told me! Right to my face! She spread rumors throughout the soldiers to get your kingdoms to conflict. Then she recommended having a merger between you two in order to get what she wanted."

Noctis was speechless. The kind, sensitive Stella he knew wasn't real?

"She threatened me too. She told me she would have me killed if I told anyone about her real personality. And she said she'd hurt Serah if I told you about her plan."

Noctis shook his head. "Lightning, I've known Stella for a long time. She wouldn't do that."

"Yes, she would!"

"You're just making up stories to get out of this! But that isn't going to work!"

Lightning gave him a hurt expression. "You don't believe me?"

He looked away. He wanted to believe her, really. But her story didn't add up. It didn't make sense to him. But who would he trust? The one he learned to love over a course of almost half a year, or a friend he had known since childhood?

Lightning shook her head. "Fine, be that way." She dropped his coat and approached the door. "Wait," Noctis grabbed her wrist. "Don't go!"

She roughly swatted him away. She shouted, "I've had enough!"

Noctis froze. He listened in horror as she said, "You wanted me to help you get out of this when I accepted our fate. But now I find something that could really solve our problem. Instead of listening to me, you take Stella's side! Why should I do anything if you won't accept my help?"

Noctis felt his world crumbling. He had just wounded her far worse than any of her earlier opponents had. "But, Claire, I—"

She snapped, "Don't _ever_ call me that _again_!" She was angry, but Noctis could see the tears in her eyes. He had just ruined everything. She pulled away from him. She exited the infirmary, leaving Noctis alone with his regrets. He fell to his knees, placing his hands on the floor.

'Everything is… falling apart… right before my eyes…' Noctis slammed his fist into the ground. He had just chased away the only person he truly cared for. He reached out for her help, then turned his back on her when she needed him. How could he do that to her when they needed each other most?

He felt a tear trickle down his cheek. He wiped it off with his gloved hand in disgust. There was no way he would just sit and cry during all of this. Noctis rose. He would head to Stella, intent on cancelling the marriage whether she approved of it or not.

This was the last straw.

Noctis was ready to round the corner into Stella's room. He heard voices coming from inside. He knew he shouldn't have eavesdropped, but he thought Stella said something interesting. He pressed his ear up to the door. A maid was in there with her, probably the one she brought with her from Tenebrae.

The princess sighed, "It's so hard keeping my whole charade up." 'Charade?' "Being the nice girl is such a pain in the ass. You don't know how many times I wanted to get rid of that Lightning girl and forget about her."

Noctis' breathing grew heavy. Lightning… was right? "I mean, I persuaded the kings to have Noctis and I marry, just like I wanted. But she just had to get in the way. I'm telling you, if she does anything else to get in the way again, she's done for. And her little sister too."

The maid spoke. "But what about the prince? How does he feel about all of this?"

"Who cares? As long as I get what I want, I don't care what anyone else thinks."

Noctis backed away from the door. Lightning told the truth! Stella _was_ a liar! She _did_ plan the whole thing! She _did_ threaten Lightning! She _didn't_ care for anyone but herself! She _was_ nothing more than a bitch!

The worst part? Noctis had pushed Lightning away when she found this out. Speaking with Stella could wait. He had to find Lightning, now.

Lightning sat on the floor of the castle, thinking about her final decision. Everything was over. She was done with all the drama. But… was the decision she was making right? She racked her brain for another way, but nothing came up. The choice she had in mind seemed best for everyone.

She hadn't noticed her teacher sit down beside her. "Thinking?"

Lightning glanced at Trinko. "Yeah."

"'Bout what?"

"What I'm supposed to do."

Trinko sighed. "About the whole marriage thing?"

"Pretty much."

Trinko obtained a small smile. "Humans… are funny creatures."

Lightning stared at him. "What?"

"You can agree can't you?" Trinko leaned against the wall. "We humans… even though we know something is impossible, we still try to overcome our hardships, using any bit of strength we have left. But all the while, we watch over and protect those who matter most to us. However…" Trinko looked at her. "As humans, we all want to serve our kind. No matter how far deep that want is buried within us, it's still there. We want to take care of each other.

"So, while trying to figure out how to solve life's impossible challenges, protecting the ones we love, and serving our race, things get difficult. We want to help everyone. Even if strangers are involved, we still want to help. While we go through our troubles, we want to make sure everyone is taken care of. But things can get ugly in the process."

Lightning was hopelessly confused.

"Take your Focus for example. You were on your way to save Serah, but ended up saving all of humanity from the Fal'Cie. So you cared for the ones you loved while making sure everyone was happy. All the while you accomplished the impossible."

Lightning still didn't see it. "What's your point?"

"Don't you think Noctis is in that position? He has a problem he can't overturn… the marriage. He wants to protect someone he cares about… you. But he also wants to make sure his fellow men are taken care of… the kingdom.

Lightning understood. He was trying to get Lightning to see the issue from Noctis' perspective. Lightning stood. "Thanks. You helped me confirm my decision."

Trinko raised an eyebrow as she left.

"You seriously heard that?" Prompto, Gladiolus, and Ignis followed Noctis as he went to Lightning's room.

"Yes. She's not as nice as we thought. And I _have_ to apologize to Light."

Gladiolus said, "But the others went back home already. How do you know she didn't go with them?"

"I asked before they left. They said she hadn't planned to leave with them."

Noctis knocked on the room's door. He grew nervous as there was no answer. Ignis said, "She may not be in there now. Maybe later?"

Noctis shook his head. "I can't wait." He knocked again. Still nothing. His impatience took over. He barged in. "Lightning, I—"

The men stared at the empty room. It was void of any life. The only thing of interest was a white envelope on the bed. They went over to it. On the back was Noctis' name. The prince picked it up, opened it, and read the note inside. It was from Lightning. His hands trembled as he read:

_Dear Noctis,_

_ I understand now. You're trying to help everybody, no matter how much you suffer. You want to help me so I am happy. You want to make sure the kingdom does not have any more trouble. Even so, you're struggling to get out of this horrible situation. _

_ I don't want you to struggle anymore. I don't want you to worry about me. Do what's best for everyone. I know your kingdom and legacy are worth much more than I. I don't want to leave you, really. You're one of the few people who have ever made me smile. But our time is short. As you are reading this, I have already returned home before the rest of us. And I don't plan on coming back._

_ If I am one of the reasons you are suffering, then I will remove myself to make sure things are easier for you. I care for you, Noctis. But I want you to live easily, even if that means letting you go. _

_ I know this doesn't sound like me… but you're the best thing that has happened to me. No one made my heart skip like you did. No one lifted my spirits like you did. I truly loved you like no one before. Our time together was well spent._

_ I will no longer weigh you down. I do not regret the times we spent together, the days we shared. I will cherish the memories of you. I hope… you will too. Just know that I love you… and be happy._

_ Family is an acronym, you know. I'm using its meaning in this situation:_

_ Forget about me. I love you._

_ Claire._

His friends read over Noctis' shoulder as he held the letter. His breathing was fumbled. His heart was shattering. His whole life was over now that she was gone.

Prompto had a sympathetic look. "Noct…"

Noctis' hands shook. "She… she didn't even say goodbye…. I hurt ther that much…. This is… all my fault!" Noctis began to cry. He blew it. He lost her. Nothing mattered anymore. His life meant nothing now.

Ignis held his shoulder. "You don't know that… she just… did what she thought was best."

Gladiolus reassured, "It's not the end, Noct."

Noctis slowly raised his head. "No, it's not. Because… I have a plan."

Prompto was surprised. "You know how to fix this?"

Noctis nodded. "The only way to fix this…"

He took a few steps forward before turning back. He said:

"I have to die."


	26. Chapter 26: The Accident

**Chapter 26 – The "Accident"**

Lightning didn't want to leave, she would have actually preferred to stay with him. But she couldn't bear to keep him down. There was no way she could sit there and let him suffer. She had to let go. She had to for him. She only hoped that he lived happily from now on. Even with that bitch wife of his.

It had been about a month since she left. Her feeling of sadness had only grown. This typical week was just the beginning of her recovery from Noctis. She knew that this was the week he was scheduled to be wed. Sometimes she found herself wishing it was her in Stella's shoes, instead of bearing with the pain of her loss.

Noctis had been her first love. She sometimes imagined him being her only love, never leaving her side, staying with her forever. He was special to her. So far, letting him go was not easy. She was always thinking of him. She thought of all the days they spent together, the words they shared, the nights he was with her… it all seemed so far away now.

There was no hope anymore. Lightning knew that. He would be married, she wouldn't get to interfere in his life as a king, and she would have to stay on Pulse and help Serah and Snow find a different place they lived. They had planned to move out for some time, although, due to the crisis Lightning was in, they put it on hold for a while.

Her friends had tried to help her fallen spirits rise. Dajh and Sazh would visit her a lot. Dajh really liked Lightning. He even called her "Auntie Light." He was just a kid. But his presence helped her get her mind off of things. The little child would always say something to make her laugh…. But not as much as Noctis' words did.

Snow and Vanille were constantly trying to get Lightning to go somewhere with them to have fun. The beach, the market, the park… you name it. They asked her to go. But she refused. She did like being with her friends. Their accompaniment made her happier… But not as much as Noctis' would.

Hope and Trinko would train with Lightning. Trinko tried to teach her new moved, even though she knew most of what he taught her. Hope attempted to work harder when training, thinking it would make Lightning proud. They fought by her side. Knowing that they were there made her feel better…. But not as much as Noctis would.

Fang did the best she could to help. She couldn't just give her a full blown vacation, but Fang shortened her working hours sometimes and gave her easier missions. She had said, "Bad mental conditions makes it harder to fight, and I certainly don't want you getting hurt by the big bad monsters you usually take on. I'll keep it easy for a little while." She knew she was hurting. Her consideration touched her… but not as much as Noctis' would.

No matter what happened, she thought of how she needed Noctis. It got worse every day. Even so, she masked her feelings well. Somehow her friends were still aware of how she was.

With each passing day, Lightning's heart grew weaker. She caught herself wandering to places she had gone to with Noctis, pondering their times together. And thinking if they will ever meet again. Probably not. Lightning had said she wouldn't make his life harder, so that meant not going back. With him being a prince, he wouldn't have much time to come to Pulse either.

Lightning was staring out to the horizon about now. Serah came up to her, worried for her sister. "Lightning? Are you okay?"

Lightning took a second to answer. "Yeah."

Serah knew Lightning missed him. "You know, Light, you could go visit him. This doesn't have to be the end."

Lightning shook her head. "When two people part and go their separate ways, their memories split as well. Some people wish they could go back and be together like before. Others look forward to the day they can meet again." Serah was too stunned to respond.

But Lightning was sure she wouldn't get to meet again.

If only her broken heart would heal faster… so she could forget the pain.

999

His eyes were closed, but he knew it was morning. Today was the day; the day of his marriage.

Noctis lie down in bed, his arm covering his eyes. He didn't think he'd last this long without her. He thought he would end up bursting through the gate and coming back to her. Only, he wasn't sure if he had the courage to see her again. He feared that she would be angry at him for going back. She had said she didn't want any more drama.

Still, he longed for her.

A few knocks came to his door. This particular person just walked in after, knowing they were close enough for him to not mind to terribly much. "How you feeling?"

Noctis sat up. He put his head in his hands. "Not as well as you may think, Prompt."

That's bad. Prompto knew he had been in horrible shape since Light left. If he was worse than the thought…. "You know,… today's the day."

Noctis was silent. He slowly lifted his head. "I know."

Prompto crossed his arms. "You sure you want to go through with this?"

Noctis was sure he wasn't talking about his marriage. He meant his plan he had made up a month ago, after deciding he had to die. His friends supported him with his idea. "I'm positive." Noctis jumped out of bed, landing on the cold stone floor. "I'm doing this… so I can be with her again."

999

Noctis stood on the alter, waiting for his bride. He didn't complain about his suit or the uncomfortable feeling he had inside. He barely spoke the whole day. He didn't even see the blonde in front of him. When she walked down the aisle in a stunning white dress, Noctis only saw a pink-haired beauty.

No matter where he looked, he saw her. It was as if her image was carved into the back of his eyes so wherever he looked he would see her face. When Stella finally reached him, they linked elbows, standing in front of a grey- haired priest.

As the man spoke, Stella leaned over and whispered, "We don't have anything planned after the coronation party. What do you think we should do?"

Noctis knew what she wanted to do. But he would refuse. He had done that with Lightning and wouldn't betray her in any way. He wouldn't even reside in the same room as her for the night. Besides, he had his own plans for the night.

Stella seemed overjoyed while Noctis was distraught. He glanced over at Ignis, Prompto and Gladiolus, who were each what Prompto called, "a third of his best man." They gave him reassuring smiles while mentally preparing for what was to come.

Then he said it; "You may now kiss the bride."

With remorse in his heart, Noctis leaned over to Stella, wanting to run away and hide somewhere. He hesitantly leaned closer and closer, until their lips met.

Now it was all over. He was a married man. But not for long.

Without a moment's notice, Noctis and Stella had to sit on two thrones that were positioned behind them. Solis approached them from behind, a great crown on his head and another in his hand. While slowly transferring his crown onto Noctis' head and the one he was holding onto Stella's, he said, "As a king, it is my duty to serve my kingdom. But my time has passed and I must turn my title over to my heir. I swear my son, Noctis Lucis Caelum, and Stella Nox Fleuret into royalty as the new King and Queen."

When he finished, both crowns were resting upon Noctis' and Stella's heads. As they stood, the crowd cheered. They chanted, "Long live the King and Queen!"

Noctis was no longer a prince. He was a King—a man of leadership and responsibility. But this was only the beginning of the end. His title wouldn't last.

Off to the party.

999

The party took place in the ballroom, near the balcony he and Lightning had shared a kiss. The kiss that started their journey together. Now he was here as a king. He liked that title. But he would give it up. All for her.

The brilliant room was filled with faces. He didn't recognize some of them. He wasn't paying any attention anyway. Only one face stuck in his mind.

He leaned against a table that was littered with refreshments. He held a glass of red wine in his hand with no intention of drinking it.

His best men came next to him, all dreading the show that was on the way. Ignis pushed up his glasses. Noctis would miss that. "Are you sure you're going to go through with this?"

Noctis nodded. He was playing the whole plan in his mind, making sure he knew exactly what he was supposed to do.

Prompto double-checked, "You're just going to give it all up?"

He nodded again. Prompto could be a real goofball, but he would long for his kindness when he left. There was no turning back after this.

Gladiolus slapped his back. "Alright. Just know that we're with you, all the way." He smiled. "We'll be sure to visit."

Noctis smiled back. It would be hard for them to visit him. Even so, Gladiolus comforted him. After his death, his friends wouldn't be around him as much.

Stella was on her way over to them. Changed into a white party dress. Noctis nodded one last time as a signal that he was ready. His friends returned the gesture before going to their positions.

The Queen came to his side. "Isn't this fun?"

Noctis didn't answer. He had no desire to talk to her whatsoever.

Stella was irritated with him. He had been acting like this ever since _she_ left. Stella would not tolerate this behavior. He could not ignore his wife. "Noctis, you and I are married now. You have to forget all about her."

Noctis glared at her. "Never!"

Stella was appalled. "You dare disobey your wife?"

He countered, "Last I checked, the king had more authority than the queen."

Stella backed down. "Why won't you ever listen to me?"

Noctis bitterly reminded, "Because your plan ruined everything."

Stella gasped. He found out? "Whatever do you mean?"

Noctis quietly admitted, "I heard you say you planned everything. And that you wanted to get rid of Lightning. Don't deny it."

Stella wasn't sure how to react. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Noctis headed for another direction. "It's not like you haven't lied to me before."

After taking a few steps, he was in position. It was time for him to die. Ignis was on. "Noctis! Look out! A sniper!"

You would have missed it if you blinked. A shot could be heard. Red spattered across the room, originating from Noctis' neck. He toppled to the ground, limp as a ragdoll. Any guest around him fainted form the bloodshed. The whole room screamed in horror at the new King's assassination.

The guards were ready to investigate, but the old king stopped them. "Half of you go find the assassin! The rest help the guests out!"

Even Stella was forced out of the room, awestruck. Gladiolus, Ignis, and Solis rushed to Noctis' side. Prompto was noticeably absent.

999

Lightning headed to Fang's office to report back. A lot was on her mind. Unlike her, her friends visited Noctis and his friends after they left. So she was surprised when Gladiolus, Prompto, and Ignis were with her friends in Fang's office.

The three outsiders were in the center of the room and her gang gathered around them. Lightning looked at the faces around her. "What's up?"

Prompto, who normally would have made a huge fuss over seeing her after so long, simply handed her a glass of water. "You may need this."

Gladiolus added, "You should sit down too."

She ignored them. "What's going on?"

Ignis looked around the room before announcing, "It's Noctis… he's dead."

The whole room gasped. The glass Lightning was holding slipped from her fingers and shattered at the floor. Hope stuttered, "N-no! How is he dead? I saw him a few weeks ago!"

Gladiolus looked down. "After he was named king, we had a party to celebrate. That's… where he was shot and killed by a sniper."

All of the Pulse inhabitants stared in disbelief. They've all lost someone close to them before, but not like this. Everyone looked to Lightning to see her reaction. She swiftly turned and left. She ran down the hall, trying to get away from everyone.

Sazh and Trinko were going after her, but Ignis stopped them. With a sly smile, Prompto said, "Alright, now that she's gone, let's explain what _really_ happened."

999

Lightning couldn't believe it. Noctis was dead? Right after becoming king?

Her heart was torn apart. She felt a mix of emotions: She was angry Noctis was stupid enough to get himself killed, disappointed for not being there to help him, and upset she didn't get to say goodbye. But most of all, she was full of regret. She could have been there for him. She could have guarded him or something, anything that could have kept him alive. She could have helped him out of the marriage so he wouldn't have been so hurt. But no. She ran away like a coward. She ran from her problems instead of facing them like the brave soldier that she considered herself to be.

Lightning walked mindlessly for a while. She ended up at the waterfall where Noctis gave her the necklace she was wearing. His promise rang in her mind as she recalled his words. _"I promise that, no matter what, I will be with you. I'll never leave your side… I'll be with you. Always."_ She felt tears welling up in her eyes. A few fell down her cheek as she whispered, "I'm so sorry…"

Every memory of him entered her mind. Every smile he gave her, every laugh he let out, the image of his blue eyes, the sound of his piano playing, it all came back to her. His sweet voice echoed in her head as she felt herself begin to cry.

She could have stayed with him until the end. But eve after all the care he gave her, she turned her back on him. She had him suffer alone. How could she do that to him? Lightning placed her head in her hands. She sobbed, "I'm so sorry, Noctis!"

She just cried there for a minute, letting out all of the hurt emotions she had masked. Eventually, she looked up, thinking of how much she had missed him since she left. She would definitely miss him now.

Another tear slid down her face. She didn't expect the next part.

A black gloved hand wiped her tear away tenderly with its thumb. A silky voice comforted, "Don't cry, my Claire."

Lightning quickly turned. A smiling Noctis was behind her. "Hiya."

**Author's note:**

I got tired of not being able to use lines or anything to separate some parts, so I put 9's there now. Hopefully it'll make things a little more clear.

This is the second to last chapter T_T So sad!

But all things must come to an end…

Anyway, I have another fanfic (Lightis, of course) on the way. I've started writing it and I will upload it shortly.

Thanks for reading!


	27. Chapter 27: All For You

**Chapter 27 – All for You**

Lightning buried her head in Noctis' chest, his powerful arms wrapping around her waist. He kissed the top of her head as she sobbed. That's right. The emotionless Lightning Farron was sobbing like a child. She didn't even know why she was crying. Maybe it was because she was happy to see he was alive. Maybe it was because she was so confused and didn't know what else to do. Maybe it was because she was angry that she had no idea what was going on.

Noctis shushed her lovingly, "It's okay, I'm here."

She stepped back and punched his shoulder. He yelped and rubbed the spot she it while she yelled, "That's the problem!" Noctis gave her a questioning look. She loudly explained, "Your stupid friends told me you were assassinated! Why did they say that if you're fine?!"

Noctis grinned. "I had them tell you so I could surprise you. What really happened was more complicated."

999

_ Noctis lie on the floor with red liquid all around. Ignis and Gladiolus looked around as Solis came near. "How did it go?"_

_ Gladiolus said, "I think it went rather well." He turned to Ignis. "Clear over here. You?"_

_ Ignis nodded. "All clear. You can get up now, Noct."_

_ Noctis sat up, rubbing his neck. "That paintball really hurt." He stood, dusting himself off. "Did it look legit?"_

_ Solis chuckled, "If I hadn't been in on the act I would have thought you were killed."_

_ Noctis called out, "Nice shot, Prompt."_

_ Prompto approached them, a massive paintball gun leaning on his shoulder. "Thanks. I was aiming for the middle of your neck, but this gun isn't as accurate as a real rifle. But it's okay, I hit around your jugular artery, which is a deadly place to hit." _

_ Noctis shivered. "Those gunman instincts you have hidden really scare me sometimes, you know that?"_

_ He smirked. "Sweet!"_

_ Solis put a hand on Noctis' shoulder. "You are sure you want to give up everything and live on Pulse?"_

_ Noctis nodded. "What's done is done. There's no way I could show my face here now. Besides… I need her."_

_ His father responded, "Alright. I'm sorry I started this whole mess. I'll support you from here on out."_

_ Gladiolus patted Noctis' back while handing him a towel to wipe the red paint off. "We'll try to secretly visit. The portal doesn't look like it'll close anytime soon, but we don't want anyone finding it, now do we?"_

_ Noctis smiled. "Thanks. And in return, I'll keep you guys updated."_

_ Noctis changed into more comfortable clothing. With his "death" freaking out the populace, Noctis and his father and friends were able to sneak over to the portal unnoticed. _

_ Prompto had a sad smile on his face. "I'll miss you man. I hope you're happy there."_

_ Noctis looked to all of his friends. "Thanks guys, really."_

_ Ignis smiled. "If we wouldn't help you fake your death to elope with your girlfriend, what kind of friends would we be?"_

_ They all laughed. _

_ Solis gave Noctis one last embrace. "Have the guys smuggle pictures over soon. I want to hear from you soon."_

_ Noctis answered, "I promise."_

_ Noctis turned to the portal. Before stepping through, he stopped. "I've got an idea. Ignis, Prompto, Gladiolus? Will you guys do me one last favor?"_

_ "What?" they asked in unison._

_ With a friendly smirk, he said, "Tell everyone that I'm dead. When Light is alone, I'll come out and surprise her. Just because I want to piss her off."_

999

Lightning just stared at him. "So you had your friends fake your death so you could be with me?"

He nodded.

"And you can't go back because everyone thinks you're dead?"

He nodded again. Lightning punched him again with all of her might. "What was that for?!"

Lightning shouted, "You abdicated the throne for me! What's going to happen to the kingdom?!"

"That's why I waited until the wedding. Since Stella was the queen, she gets full control over the kingdom. That way I wouldn't be abandoning all of my people completely."

"What about your friends and father!"

"The guys said they'd visit secretly every once and a while, like I told you. My father may even come a few times. They all supported the plan."

"What about working! You don't know anyone here or what you would need to do to survive!"

"I'm sure Fang wouldn't mind me coming back to P.L.R."

"And why would you give up everything for me! You just threw away your whole life!"

Noctis touched her cheek. "Because I love you."

Lightning looked down. Her shoulder trembled. Noctis heard her crying again. "What's wrong?"

Without looking at him, she uttered, "You… dumbass!"

He was ready to defend himself, but Noctis stopped. She looked up at him. Her cheeks were wet with tears, but she was… smiling. She wasn't crying from pain, but from joy. He thought she would be angrier for a while, but he was wrong. From the looks of it, she accepted that he loved her enough to sacrifice his whole kingdom for her. Lightning hugged him tightly. "I was so scared you were gone for good."

Noctis rubbed her back. "I know. But it's okay now. Things will start looking up."

"Why?"

Noctis pushed her shoulders back so he could look at her. "I need to tell you something."

"What?"

"I don't want to spend my new life on Pulse with my girlfriend."

Lightning was now beyond baffled. If he didn't come here for her, than what was he up to?

He pulled her back into an embrace. He whispered into her ear, "Don't get me wrong, I want to spend my life with you. Only I'm hoping you won't be my girlfriend… but my wife."

Lightning pulled back and stared at him in amazement. "Really?"

He smiled. "Yes. Lightning, will you marry—"

She kissed him before he could finish. She put her hands around his neck as he held her waist.

He would take that as a yes.

**Epilogue – More Than a Myth**

The wise man put the envelope down onto his desk. His son had his friends smuggle it over form the distant world so he could see. It contained pictures of his family, the man's grandchildren. The old king simply stared out his window. "I'm glad you're happy, Noctis." With a smile on his face, he said, "It was an act of love by the last king."

999

The girl with flowing black hair chased her older brother up the street. "Give that back, Bellum!"

"You have to catch me, Luna!"

She ran after her twin brother for her hunting knife, the one that her aunt gave her. Well, they weren't really related, but Auntie Fang always seemed like family to her.

With determination in her light blue eyes, she ran up to her house with her pink-haired brother already in the doorway.

As she kept on his tail into the house, she ran into the living room, where her younger brother and sister played. The little girl, Akilina, called to them, "Stop fighting and play dolls with me and Ace!"

Bellum responded, "No way!"

It was time for their mother to step in. "Okay guys, calm down."

Luna stopped in front of her pink-haired mother. "But Bellum won't give me my knife back!"

The teenager stopped at his mom's gaze. She was never one to put up with quarreling. "Bellum Caelum, give Luna her knife back."

Defeated, Bellum handed the knife to his younger twin sister.

"Don't act like this when your dad gets back home."

A voice called, "Did someone call my name?"

The father of the house walked through the door, receiving shouts of joy and hugs from his kids. The wife came over to her family. "Welcome home."

He smiled. "Thanks, Lightning." Even though they were married, had kids, and Noctis knew her real name, he still called her Lightning, just like old times.

"It's your turn to watch the kids tomorrow, Noctis. I'll be working next."

"Yeah, I know." There was no way Lightning would just be a stay-at-home-mom, so she worked every other day. For example, she would work one day, Noctis would work the next, then she would go the day after. That way their kids would be supervised as well.

Noctis plopped down on the couch, Lightning coming next to him. "How was school, guys?"

Bellum moaned, "We have to do this project on some legend about Crystal kingdoms… or something."

Lightning and Noctis shared a surprised look. They didn't think schools would start teaching the legend so early. Lightning would have to call Serah. She was, after all, a teacher.

Luna's eyes filled with excitement. "It was so cool! All of the stories were really fascinating and awesome!"

Bellum denied with doubt in his dark blue eyes, "No way, it was all boring!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Ah-huh!"

"No way!"

"Yeah way!"

The parents sighed. Twins sure were a handful.

Bellum argued, "They're all just a bunch of mumbo-jumbo! Where's the fun in that?"

Lightning chuckled, "Don't be so sure, Bellum." Lightning looked to Noctis. He was smiling at her, having the same thoughts she was. The mother finished, "You'd never know… if it was more than a myth."

**Author's note:**

YAY! Happy ending!

Before anyone says anything, **Ace is this story is not meant to be the character from Final Fantasy Agito XIII/ Final Fantasy Type-0.** I just found the name and realized it was the same as his. I'm putting this out there because I'm thinking of making a short sequel.

So… sequel anyone?


	28. Chapter 28 - Guilty Drive Prologue

**Guilty Drive**

**Prologue**

"Oh, I can't wait! Just another week! I'm so excited!" Serah bounced up and down on the couch while squealing like a small child.

"It's not that big of a deal, Serah." Lightning sighed at her sister's hullabaloo.

"I'm really happy you feel that way." Noctis nudged Lightning's arm at her response.

Serah agreed, "Yeah, Light! Your wedding is going to be fantastic! Mine was amazing!"

Lightning looked over at Noctis. "Yeah, it really is, I guess." In reality, Lightning was overjoyed Noctis had proposed, but didn't want a wedding. Too much planning, stress, money, and worst of all, dressing up. Noctis didn't mind skipping it either. After all, he had just had one with Stella a few months ago and wasn't in the mood to do it all over again. So they agreed to be wed without such a huge party. Serah, however, was completely appalled that they rejected the idea and practically forced them into the event. She loved hers so much that Lightning just had to have one.

Noctis reached over and held Lightning's hand. "I know, I know, you don't want to have a wedding. Just remember that we'll always be together after that."

Lightning answered, "It's not like we need a huge ceremony to be together though. It's not like we weren't always together before. We could have been mistaken for a married couple when you lived with us a while back."

Serah said, "But it'll be way more fun!"

Noctis saw Lightning was beginning to get annoyed and came to her rescue. "How are you and Snow doing?"

Serah smiled, "We've finally finished unpacking and setting things up at our new apartment!"

Lightning scrutinized, "Took you long enough. You two moved out a month ago."

Serah defended, "Hey, we just –"

A ring came from her pocket, interrupting her sentence. After answering her phone and getting a worried look on her face and muttering a few responses, Serah stood and shrugged, "I've gotta get back. Snow needs me for something."

Lightning guessed, "He broke something, didn't he?"

Serah got a nervous look on her face. "No! He just… wants me to come see something!"

Lightning sighed while Noctis laughed at her hurried response.

"Anyways, I need to be going. Light, if you need any help with any last minute wedding details, talk to me. I'm only across town!"

"Thanks, Serah."

Serah waved and said, "See you, guys," before rushing out the door.

Lightning was about to follow her baby sister when a hand pulled her down onto the couch again. She found herself sitting on Noctis' lap, his arms around her waist, caging her. He rubbed his forehead against hers with his eyes closed. "Shouldn't we make sure she gets back alright?"

Noctis chuckled, "You worry too much, Light. Serah can take care of herself." He kissed her cheek lovingly and cooed, "All you need to do is let me hold you."

Lightning felt her heart flutter at his words. He was really the only person alive who could do such a thing, but she didn't mind at all. Noctis began nipping at her neck in an enraptured manner. Lightning giggled at the feeling. "Noctis stop!" she playfully said. "Noct…stop!"

He ceased for a moment to say, "Why? You're clearly enjoying it." His sing-song tone only made her giggle more. He resumed kissing her neck, uttering a few moans in the mean-time. He soon started kissing higher up her neck. He continued escalating until he met her lips. They both became lost in each other with the growing intensity of their action. Lightning soon forgot about playing hard-to-get and put her arms around his neck, her heart beat steadily increasing. His hands wandered up and down her back, sending chills down Lightning's spine.

When Noctis finally pulled away, he stared deep into Lightning's eyes, both of them panting from the lack of air. He swooped in for another kiss, but to no avail. Lightning snatched up one of the couch pillows and shoved it in his face, freeing herself from his clutches. She stumbled back while Noctis removed the pillow.

"Hey, what was that for?"

Lightning put her hands on her hips. "Don't think you can just go crazy. You can't have your way with me until we're officially married."

Noctis rolled his eyes as Lightning headed for the front door. Sure, he understood why she assumed he would try something. He didn't get why she said he couldn't do anything until their wedding night. They had made love more than once now. The first was the night Noctis had made it back to his home. The second time was the day Noctis proposed to Lightning. Then they did it again a few months ago just for kicks.

Lightning went outside to their front porch. She plopped down on a porch swing with her hands in her lap. She eyed her engagement ring. Silver was wrapped around her finger, a dark blue diamond jutting out slightly from the top. To the left and right of it were two smaller diamonds, each one a light blue. Noctis said he liked that one because it was simple and the colors of the gems matched their eyes.

_ "Just think of it, Claire. I'll get to finally call you my wife soon."_

_ "You're really that excited?"_

_ "Of course I am. Just one question…"_

_ "What?"_

_ "How many kids?"_

_ "Ugh, not that question again. You've asked it over a hundred times now."_

_ "Well?"_

_ "How many do you want, Noct?"_

_ "Three… maybe four."_

Lightning smiled at the memory. He had his heart set on having kids. Lightning didn't mind the idea, but he asked her how many she wanted daily. It was starting to get annoying. Even so, Lightning still looked forward to the rest of her life with Noctis.

"So… that is who Etro has chosen for her knight…" The purple-haired man stood atop a cliff, not far from the woman's home. He stared down at her, glaring at his enemy.

"What was that, Caius?" The young girl tried to follow his gaze.

"It was nothing, Yeul, no need to worry." Caius continued to glower at the former l'Cie. He mumbled, "Now my plan will be disrupted further. How will I continue to pursue the goddess if she gets in the way?"

From below, a man left the condominium. Caius immediately knew who he was. After traveling for so long, there was no mistaking the man who gave him the opportunity to end it for Yeul. He sat down next to the woman, taking her hands into his.

Caius smirked. "That… that is how I will succeed. I already have a plan."

Yeul glanced up at Caius before looking back at the couple. She recognized the two. 'The ones who began the Paradox…'

Caius turned away. "Let's go, Yeul." He lowered his voice so she couldn't hear. "Besides, it's only a matter of time until she's summoned. And I have much work to do until then." It wouldn't be hard to lure the prince into his hands.

**Well, would you look at that! I finally got it out!**

**There you go, the prologue to More Than a Myth's sequel! I had it ready but just never got it out there. **

**Sorry it's short, just wanted it to be simple enough to understand but long enough to catch your attention. How was it?**

**I'll release this again with the first chapter after Taming of the Prince is finished - which is drawing near. Just two more chapters and it's over. So sad… TAT**

**Anyway, thank you for all of you who are sticking with me, even with my slow updates. I promise both of my stories will have an ending! Thank you all so much! :) **


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